ALGER 


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THE 

YOUNG  SALESMAN 


HORATIO   ALGER  Jr. 

AUTHOR  OF    "  RISEN    FROM    THE    RANKS,"    "  THE    STORE    BOY," 

J* JULIUS,  THE  STREET  BOY,"  "ADRIFT  IN    NEW  YORK," 

"THE     YOUNG    OUTLAW,"    "THE     CASH     BOY," 

"  TIN  BOX,"  "  TONY,  THE  TRAMP,"  ETC. 


NEW  YORK 
HURST  &   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


ALGER  SERIES    FOR    BOYS. 

UNIFORM  WITH  THIS  VOLUME. 

By  HORATIO  ALGER,  Jr. 


Adrift  in  New  York. 

A  Cousin's  Conspiracy. 

Andy  Gordon. 

Andy  Grant's  Pluck. 

Bob  Burton. 

Bound  to  Rise. 

Brave  and  Bold. 

Cash  Boy. 

Chester  Rand 

Do  and  Dare. 

Driven  from  Home. 

Erie  Train  Boy. 

Facing  the  World. 

Five  Hundred  Dollars. 

Frank's  Campaign. 

Grit. 

Hector's  Inheritance. 

Helping  Himself. 

Herbert  Carter's  Legacy. 

In  a  New  World. 

Jack's  Ward. 

Jed,  the  Poor  House  Boy. 

Joe's  Lnck. 

Julius,  the  Street  Boy. 

Luke  Walton. 


Making  His  Way. 
Mark  Mason. 
Only  an  Irish  Boy. 
Paul,  the  Peddler. 
Phil,  the  Fiddler. 
Ralph  Raymond's  Heir. 
Risen  from  the  Ranks. 
Sam's  Chance. 
Shifting  for  Himself. 
Sink  or  Swim. 
Slow  and  Sure. 
Store  Boy. 
Strive  and  Succeed. 
Strong  and  Steady. 
Struggling  Upward. 
Tin  Box. 

Tom,  the  Bootblack. 
Tony,  the  Tramp. 
Try  and  Trust. 
Wait  and  Hope. 
Walter  Sherwood's  Pro- 
bation. 
Young  Acrobat. 
Young  Adventurer. 
Young  Outlaw. 
Young  Salesman. 


Price,   Post-Paid,   jjc.   each,   or   any   three 
books  for  $  i. 00. 

HURST  &  COMPANY 
Publishers,  New  York. 


THE  YOUNG  SALESMAN. 


CHAPTER  1. 

ON  BOARD  THE  "  ARCTURUS." 

Halfway  across  the  Atlantic  the  good  ship 
Arcturus  was  making  her  way  from  Liverpool 
to  New  York.  She  was  a  sailing  vessel,  and 
her  speed  by  no  means  equaled  that  of  the 
mighty  steamships,  more  than  one  of  which 
passed  her,  leaving  her  far  behind. 

While  she  was  used  chiefly  for  freight,  she 
carried  a  few  passengers,  less  than  twenty  in 
all. 

I  wish  to  call  the  reader's  attention  to  the 
occupants  of  one  of  the  small  staterooms,  a 
man  and  a  boy.  There  was  a  great  contrast 
between  them.  The  man  was  thin  and  hollow- 
cheeked,  and  as  he  lay  in  his  berth  he  looked  to 
be,  as  he  was,  in  the  last  stages  of  consump- 
tion. 

The  boy,  who  must  have  been  nearly  sixteen, 
was  the  picture  of  health.  He  was  inclined  to 
be  dark,  with  black  hair,  bright  eyes,  and  with 
considerable  color  in  his  cheeks. 

He  bent  over  the  reclining  figure,  and  asked, 
3 


4  The  Young  Salesman. 

with  anxious  solicitude :  "  How  do  you  feel, 
father?  " 

"  No  better,  Scott,"  and  the  father  began  to 
cough. 

"Does  it  hurt  you  to  cough?" 

"  Yes,  but  it  won't  trouble  me  long." 

"  You  will  be  better?  "  said  the  boy,  half 
inquiringly. 

"  No,  Scott,  I  shall  never  be  better.  I  am 
very  near  the  end." 

"  You  don't  mean  that?  "  exclaimed  the  boy, 
in  pained  surprise. 

"  Yes,  I  do,  Scott,  and  you  may  as  well  know 
it.  I  doubt  whether  I  shall  live  to  see  New 
York." 

Scott  Walton  looked  dismayed,  for  till  now 
he  had  not  suspected  that  his  father's  life  was 
in  danger.  Yet,  as  he  gazed  at  the  fragile 
form,  he  was  forced  to  believe  that  his  father 
spoke  truly. 

"  What  will  become  of  me,"  he  said,  with 
emotion,  "  alone  in  a  strange  land?" 

"  That  is  what  I  want  to  speak  to  you 
about."     Here  the  man  began  to  cough  again. 

"  Don't  talk,  father.     It  makes  you  cough." 

"  I  must,  my  son.  Perhaps  I  may  have  no 
other  chance.  I  am  sorry  that  I  must  leave 
you  almost  penniless." 

"  I  don't  mind  that,  father.  If  you  could 
only  live " 

"  Don't  interrupt  me,  for  there  are  some 
things  I  must  tell  you.     You  will  find  in  my 


The  Young  Salesman.  5 

wallet  twenty  pounds  in  English  bank-notes, 
worth  in  America  about  one  hundred  dollars. 
This  sum  will  support  you  while  you  are  look- 
ing for  a  situation,  for  you  will  need  to  find 
work." 

"  I  am  strong  and  willing  to  work,  father." 

"  Yes,  you  are  strong.  You  don't  take  after 
toe,  but  after  your  mother's  family." 

"Have  you  any  relatives  in  America?" 
"  There  is  a  cousin  of  your  mother's  in  New 
York,  Ezra  Little.  I  believe  he  is  well  to  do. 
I  can't  tell  you  what  he  is  doing  or  where  he 
lives,  but  you  can  look  up  his  name  in  the  New 
York  directory." 

"  Is  he  the  only  relative  we  have  in  Amer- 
ica?" 

"  No,  there  is  a  cousin  of  my  own,  Philo  Wal- 
ton, who  went  out  to  one  of  the  Western 
States.  He  was  a  good-hearted  fellow,  and 
likely  to  make  his  way,  but  I  have  heard  noth- 
ing of  him,  and  I  don't  know  whether  he  is  still 
living  or  not. 

"  There  seems  a  very  small  chance  of  your 
finding  him,  in  so  large  a  country,  but  you  can 
probably  find  Ezra  Little.  Take  down  these 
names,  Scott.  They  may  be  of  importance  to 
you." 

Scott  drew  out  a  small  memorandum  book, 
and  did  as  directed. 

"  I  would  not  have  started  from  England, 
had  I  supposed  I  should  have  become  worse 
so  rapidly,"  continued  Mr.  Walton.     "  I  think 


0  The  Young  Salesman. 

the  sea  air  has  aggravated  my  disease.  There 
seemed  nothing  for  us  at  home  though,  and  no 
friends  on  whom  we  could  call.  I  built  my 
hopes  on  Ezra  Little.  I  thought  for  your 
mother's  sake  he  would  help  her  boy.  If  I 
could  live  to  see  him,  and  commend  him  to  you 
in  person,  I  could  die  in  peace." 

He  had  hardly  completed  these  words  when 
he  had  a  terrible  fit  of  coughing,  which  seemed 
to  rack  his  feeble  frame. 

"  Don't  talk  any  more,  father !  "  said  Scott, 
in  alarm.  "  Can't  I  get  you  something  to  re- 
lieve you?  I  will  go  to  the  steward  and  ask 
for  a  cup  of  hot  tea." 

Without  waiting  for  an  answer  he  left  the 
stateroom  and  sought  the  steward. 

He  was  gone  but  ten  minutes,  but  when  he 
returned  the  bedclothes  were  stained  with 
blood.  His  father  had  had  a  hemorrhage,  and 
was  lying  with  closed  eyes,  breathing  faintly. 

The  ship  doctor  was  summoned,  and  applied 
restoratives,  but  without  effect.  Before  the 
morning  dawned,  Scott  was  fatherless. 

It  was  a  great  trial  to  the  lonely  boy  to  see 
his  father's  body  consigned  to  the  deep.  He 
wished  he  might  carry  it  to  the  land  which 
was  to  be  his  future  home,  and  have  it  buried 
in  some  quiet  cemetery;  but  it  would  be  a 
week  at  least  before  the  slow-going  ship  would 
reach  New  York,  and  the  sailors  would  have 
rebelled  at  having  a  corpse  on  board  for  that 
length  of  time. 


The  Young  Salesman.  7 

Scott  secured  the  money  of  which  his 
father  had  spoken,  and  a  sealed  packet  in- 
scribed : 

For  My  Son. 
To  be  opened  a  year  from  my  death. 

The  boy's  grief  was  so  sincere  that  his 
curiosity  was  not  aroused  by  this  inscription. 
He  put  the  packet  in  his  traveling  bag,  and 
tried  to  prepare  himself  for  the  solitary  life  he 
must  now  lead. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  sympathy  felt  for 
the  lonely  boy  on  the  ship,  and  more  than  one 
of  the  passengers  proffered  sympathy  and  com- 
panionship. 

Scott  received  their  advances  politely,  but 
showed  by  his  manner  that  he  preferred  to  be 
alone. 

A  week  later,  however,  when  the  vessel  was 
within  a  few  hours  of  reaching  her  destination, 
he  felt  that  it  would  be  well  to  obtain  some  in- 
formation about  the  new  country  that  awaited 
him. 

Among  the  passengers  was  a  young  man  who 
looked  to  be  about  twenty-five.  His  name  was 
Crawford  Lane.  He  wore  a  light  overcoat,  a 
showy  necktie,  a  low-cut  vest,  and  was  in  ap- 
pearance a  very  good  specimen  of  the  Bowery 
swell. 

He  joined  Scott  as  he  was  standing  on  deck, 
trying  to  catch  the  first  glimpse  of  land. 

"  Well,  my  young  friend,"  he  said,  affably, 


8  The  Young  Salesman. 

"I  suppose  that  you,  like  the  rest  of  us,  are 
glad  to  be  near  port." 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Scott,  listlessly. 

"  Of  course  you  miss  your  father." 

"  Oh,  so  much ! "  said  the  boy,  the  tears 
coming  into  his  eyes.  "  For  years  we  have 
lived  together  and  been  constant  companions." 

"  Just  so !  My  father  died  five  years  ago, 
and  I  often  miss  him." 

"  But  you  doubtless  have  other  relatives, 
while  he  was  all  I  had,"  explained  Scott. 

"  Yes,  I  have  other  relatives.  An  uncle  of 
mine  is  the  present  mayor  of  Chicago.  Of 
course,  you  have  heard  of  Chicago." 

"  Yes ;  it  is  one  of  your  largest  cities,  is  it 
not?" 

"  Yes,  it's  a  smart  place,  Chicago  is." 

"  Do  you  live  there?  " 

'k  Not  at  present.  I  have  relations  in  New 
York  also.  They  are  rich;  live  on  Fifth 
Avenue,  or  near  by." 

"  You  are  fortunate  in  having  so  many  rela- 
tions," said  Scott,  with  a  touch  of  envy. 

"  I  don't  know.  One  of  my  uncles  tried  to 
cheat  me  out  of  part  of  my  inheritance.  Rela- 
tions are  not  always  the  best  friends." 

"  I  hope  he  did  not  succeed,"  said  Scott, 
politely,  though  he  felt  very  little  interest  in 
the  fortunes  of  his  fellow  voyager. 

"  No.  That  is,  he  defrauded  me  of  ten  thou- 
sand dollars,  but  there  was  a  good  deal  more, 
so  that  I  was  not  inconvenienced." 


The  Young  Salesman.  9 

Lane  spoke  carelessly,  and  gave  Scott  the 
impression  that  he  was  a  rich  man. 

"  Then  you  have  a  home  to  go  to,"  said  Scott, 
sadly. 

"  No,"  answered  Lane.  "  You  see  my  father 
and  mother  are  dead,  and  I  live  at  the  hotels 
or  in  apartments  of  my  own.  I  don't  care  to 
live  with  relations.  Have  you  any  relations  in 
New  York?" 

"  None  that  I  have  seen.  There  is  a  cousin 
of  my  mother,  Ezra  Little,  who  I  am  told  is 
well  to  do.  But  I  never  saw  him,  and  I  don't 
know  how  he  will  receive  me." 

"  Then  you  will  probably  go  to  a  hotel?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,  but  I  know  nothing  of  New 
York." 

"  I  hope,"  said  Lane,  in  an  insinuating 
tone,  "  that  your  father  left  you  in  easy  cir- 
cumstances? " 

"  No,  I  shall  have  to  make  my  own  way." 

"  Surely  you  have  some  money." 

"  Yes,  I  have  twenty  pounds.  I  am  told 
that  amounts  to  a  hundred  dollars  in  Ameri- 
can currency." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Lane,  brightening  up. 
"  Well,  that  will  tide  you  over  till  you  get 
something  to  do.  But  probably  your  relative 
will  provide  for  you." 

"  No,"  said  Scott ;  "  I  shall  not  ask  him  to 
do  so.     I  prefer  to  earn  my  own  living." 

"  Just  so.  Well,  I  can  be  of  some  service 
to  you.     I  will  find  you  a  reasonable  place  to 


lo  The  Young  Salesman. 

stop,  and  when  you  get  ready  you  can  call  on 
this  Mr.  Little." 

"  Thank  you !  " 

Scott  was  disposed  to  accept  the  offer  of  his 
new  acquaintance,  as,  of  course,  he  himself 
knew  absolutely  nothing  about  New  York. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  FIRST  DAY  IN  NEW  YORK. 

When  the  Arcturus  arrived  in  port,  Scott 
placed  himself  in  charge  of  Mr.  Lane,  and 
accompanied  that  gentleman  on  shore.  He 
congratulated  himself  on  having  a  competent 
guide. 

He  was  struck  by  the  bright  and  bustling  ap- 
pearance of  the  great  American  metropolis, 
and,  English  though  he  was,  he  was  fain  to 
admit  that  it  was  more  attractive  than  London. 

Scott  had  but  one  gripsack,  but  in  this  re- 
spect Crawford  Lane  was  no  better  off. 

"  I  just  took  a  brief  trip  across  the  water," 
he  explained,  "  and  I  don't  believe  in  being 
hampered  with  baggage." 

"  Then  you  were  not  gone  long?  "  said  Scott. 

"  No ;  I  just  ran  across  in  company  with  an 
old  college  friend.  He  will  be  absent  several 
months,  but  I  could  not  spare  the  time  from 
my  business." 

"  Have  you  anything  which  a  boy  of  my  age 
could  do  in  your  office?  "  asked  Scott,  who  felt 


The  Young  Salesman.  n 


'& 


that  he  must  now  be  on  the  search  for  a 
place. 

"  Not  at  present.  My  business  is  of  a  pecu- 
liar nature.  I  travel  for  a  large  house.  But 
I  will  keep  rny  eyes  open,  and  if  I  should  hear 
of  anything  I  will  most  certainly  let  you 
know." 

"  Do  you  expect  any  one  to  meet  you  at  the 
pier?  " 

"  No,  I  never  say  much  about  my  move- 
ments. My  friends  can  wait  till  I  get  fairly 
established  in  a  hotel." 

Scott  was  somewhat  amazed  when  his  new 
acquaintance  conducted  him  to  a  very  plain 
house  on  the  Bowery. 

"  I  don't  care  for  style,"  remarked  Lane, 
observing  Scott's  surprise,  "  and  though  I 
could  afford  to  go  to  the  most  expensive  hotel 
in  the  city,  I  know  that  your  means  are  limited, 
and  I  wish  to  select  one  in  which  you  can  af- 
ford to  remain  with  me." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Lane;  you  are  very  con- 
siderate. I  haven't  much  money,  and  I  must 
be  economical." 

"  I  will  step  up  to  the  desk  and  arrange 
about  rooms,"  added  Lane. 

"  Thank  you." 

Crawford  Lane  left  Scott  sitting  in  the  read- 
ing-room, but  he  returned  in  five  minutes. 

"  I  find,"  he  said,  "  that  the  hotel  is  crowded. 
I  have  engaged  a  single  room  with  two  beds. 
Will  that  be  agreeable?  " 


12  The  Young  Salesman. 

Scott  felt  that  he  would  have  preferred  to 
room  alone,  but  he  did  not  know  how  to  make 
objection,  and  acquiesced  in  the  arrangement. 

"  I  would  like  to  go  upstairs  at  once,"  he 
said,  "  so  that  I  may  wash,  and  change  my 
underclothing." 

"  Very  well." 

They  were  shown  up  by  a  bell  boy.  The 
room  on  the  third  floor  was  rather  small,  but 
contained  two  single  beds. 

The  place  and  its  furnishings  looked  dingy, 
and  even  dirty,  but  Scott  was  not  disposed  to 
make  any  unnecessary  complaint. 

"  I  will  take  the  bed  near  the  door,  if  you 
don't  object,"  said  Lane. 

"  It  is  immaterial  to  me."' 

"  Very  well.  By  the  way,  didn't  you  say  you 
had  some  Bank  of  England  notes  to  exchange 
for  American  money?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  While  you  are  making  your  toilet,  I  might 
slip  down  to  a  broker's  in  Wall  Street,  and 
make  the  exchange.     What  do  you  say?  " 

Scott  had  his  share  of  caution,  and  he  re- 
membered that  his  knowledge  of  Mr.  Lane  was 
very  limited.  Indeed,  on  reflection,  it  oc- 
curred to  him  that  his  sole  knowledge  of  his 
acquaintance  was  derived  from  that  gentleman 
himself. 

"  I  think,"  he  said,  "  that  I  will  wait  till  to- 
morrow. I  have  a  little  silver  with  me  that 
Will  do  me  till  then." 


The  Young  Salesman.  13 

"  Oh,  very  well !  "  said  Lane,  in  an  indif- 
ferent tone,  though  his  face  expressed  some 
disappointment.  "  I  only  thought  that  I 
might  save  you  some  trouble." 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  don't  mind  the  trouble. 
I  shall  be  interested  to  see  Wall  Street  my- 
self." 

"  All  right,  I  will  go  there  with  you  to- 
morrow, or  whenever  you  choose." 

"  I  should  not  like  to  take  up  your  time. 
Probably  you  have  business  of  your  own  to 
occupy  you." 

"  Oh,  I  can  get  through  a  good  deal  of  busi- 
ness in  a  short  time.  When  you  are  ready, 
come  downstairs.  You  will  find  me  in  the 
office." 

Left  to  himself,  Scott  took  a  good  wash  and 
put  on  some  clean  linen,  which  he  found  re- 
freshing. He  divided  his  bank-noes  into  two 
parcels,  one  of  which  he  put  in  his  inside  coat 
pocket,  the  other  in  an  inside  pocket  in  his 
vest. 

He  took  the  hint  from  his  father's  custom. 

In  twenty  minutes  he  was  ready  to  go  down- 
stairs. He  found  Crawford  Lane  awaiting 
him  in  the  office. 

"Shall  we  go  in  to  dinner  now,  Scott?" 
said  his  new  friend,  familiarly. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Scott,  for,  grieving  though 
he  did  over  his  father's  loss,  he  had  the  ap- 
petite of  a  healthy  boy. 

The  dinner  was  plain,  and  the  table  neither 


14  The  Young  Salesman. 

neat  nor  attractive,  but  Scott  felt  that  he  had 
no  right  to  be  fastidious,  and  upon  the  whole 
ate  heartily. 

"  Now,  shall  we  go  for  a  walk?"  suggested 
Lane. 

"  If  you  like." 

Lane  led  the  way  to  Broadway,  pointing  out 
various  buildings  and  objects  of  interest. 

"What  do  you  think  of  New  York?"  he 
asked. 

"  This  seems  a  very  lively  street." 

"  Yes,  there  is  but  one  Broadway  in  the 
world." 

"  But  London  is  larger." 

"  Yes,  but  less  attractive." 

"  I  hope  I  can  find  something  to  do.  Then 
I  shall  be  contented." 

"  Don't  borrow  any  trouble  about  that.  I 
have  influence,  and  will  see  that  you  find  em- 
ployment," said  Lane,  patronizingly. 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Mr.  Lane." 

"  I  mean  to  be.  I  hope  you  will  look  upon 
me  as  a  friend — and  a  brother." 

These  words  were  kind,  but  Scott  hesitated 
to  respond.  He  had  seen  no  occasion  to  dis- 
trust his  companion,  but  for  some  reason,  un- 
accountable to  himself,  he  could  not  give  him 
his  confidence. 

They  sauntered  up  Broadway  till  they, 
reached  Waverly  Place.  Just  at  the  corner 
they  attracted  the  attention  of  a  boy  of  per- 
haps fifteen,  wTho  seemed  to  recognize  Scott's 
companion. 


The  Young  Salesman.  i  ; 

He  was  a  dark-haired,  pleasant-looking  boyt 
whose  face  seemed  to  indicate  German  descent. 

"  Mr.  Lane,"  he  said,  touching  Scott's  com- 
panion on  the  arm. 

Crawford  Lane  wheeled  round  and  eyed  the 
boy  as  if  disconcerted. 

"What  do  you  want,  boy?"  he  demanded, 
haughtily.     "  I  don't  know  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  do.  My  name  is  John  Schick- 
ling." 

"  I  haven't  the  honor  of  knowing  you,  Mr. 
John  Schickling,"  said  Lane,  in  a  tone  of  sar- 
casm. 

"  You  know  me  well  enough,"  said  the  boy, 
persistently. 

"  Just  as  you  like,  but  I  have  no  time  to 
spend  with  you  to-day.  Pass  on  and  let  me 
alone." 

"  I  will  as  soon  as  you  pay  me  what  you  owe 
me." 

"  Why,  you  impudent  young  rascal,  how 
should  I  owe  you  anything?  " 

"  You  hired  a  room  from  my  mother  at  three 
dollars  a  week,  and  you  went  off  owing  three 
weeks'  lodging.  If  you  will  give  me  nine  dol- 
lars I  will  give  you  a  receipt." 

"  This  is  ridiculous  nonsense.  I  never  lived 
in  three-dollar  rooms." 

"  All  the  same  you  had  a  room  at  our  house 
for  several  weeks  at  the  price.  I  have  been 
looking  for  you  every  day  since  you  left  us." 

"  Boy,"  said  Crawford  Lane,  "  I  have  just 


16  The  Young  Salesman. 

returned  from  Europe,  and  therefore  cannot 
have  roomed  in  your  house.  If  you  have  any 
doubt  on  the  subject,  my  young  friend  here 
will  tell  you  that  we  arrived  in  New  York  this 
morning  on  the  ship  Arcturus." 

"That  may  be,"  rejoined  John;  "but  it  is 
two  months  since  you  left  our  house.  You 
have  had  time  to  go  to  Europe  and  back." 

"  I  can't  be  troubled  with  you  to-day,  boy. 
Get  out  of  my  way !  " 

"  Where  can  I  find  you  ?  Where  are  you 
stopping?  " 

Crawford  Lane  drew  a  card  from  his  pocket, 
and  scribbling  an  address  on  it,  passed  it  to 
the  boy.  While  John  Schickling  was  trying 
v-q  make  it  out,  Lane  hurried  on  with  Scott. 

"  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel ! "  repeated  Johnny. 
"  Why,  that's  a  very  dear  place.  If  Mr.  Lane 
can  afford  to  stay  there,  he  can  afford  to  pay 
mother's  bill." 

Later  in  the  day  John  entered  the  Fifth  Ave- 
nue Hotel,  and  went  up  to  the  desk. 

He  showed  the  card  to  the  clerk. 

"  Is  any  gentleman  of  that  name  staying 
here?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,"  answered  the  clerk,  shaking  his  head. 

"  Has  he  ever  stopped  here?  " 

"No;  I  should  remember  the  name  if  he 
had." 

"  Sold  again ! "  said  Johnny.  "  If  I  ever 
meet  Mr.  Lane  now,  he  won't  get  off  so  easily." 

"  That  is  a  very  impudent  boy !  "  said  Lane, 
as  he  resumed  his  walk  with  Scott. 


The  Young  Salesman.  17 

"  I  thought  him  a  pleasant-looking  fellow. 
Didn't  you  know  him?" 

"  Never  saw  him  before  in  the  whole  course 
of  my  life !  " 

"  It  is  strange,"  mused  Scott.  "  He  called 
you  by  your  name." 

"  Did  he?    I  didn't  observe." 

<(  Yes." 

"  Then  he  must  have  overheard  you  address- 
ing me." 

"  But  he  met  us.  He  was  not  walking  be- 
hind us." 

"  I  can't  undertake  to  explain  it,"  said  Lane, 
shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  The  boy  is  evi- 
dently very  artful.    It  is  a  put-up  job." 

Scott  made  no  comment,  but  he  had  been 
favorably  impressed  by  John  Schickling's 
open,  frank  face,  and  he  felt  some  doubts  about 
relying  on  Lane's  explanation. 


CHAPTER  III. 

SCOTT  LEARNS  A  LESSON. 

Soon  after  supper  Crawford  Lane  said: 
"  Suppose  we  go  to  some  theater  this  evening. 
It  will  pass  away  the  time  pleasantly." 

Scott  looked  pained. 

"  Mr.  Lane,"  he  said,  "  you  seem  to  forget 
that  it  is  scarcely  more  than  a  week  since  my 
poor  father  died." 

"  Excuse  me,  Scott.  I  ought  to  have  remem- 
bered it.  Shall  you  miss  me  if  I  leave  you  to 
spend  the  evening  alone?  " 


1 8  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  No,  Mr.  Lane.  On  some  accounts  I  should 
prefer  to  be  alone." 

"  Very  well.  You  need  not  sit  up  for  me,  as 
I  shall  return  late.  Go  to  bed  when  you  feel 
inclined,  and  we  shall  meet  in  the  morning. 
So  long !  " 

Scott  remained  in  the  office  of  the  hotel.  He 
did  not  object  to  being  left  alone,  for  he  was 
forced  to  acknowledge  that  he  did  not  care 
much  for  the  company  of  Crawford  Lane. 

Circumstances  had  thrown  them  together, 
and  Lane  had  been  of  some  service  to  him  in 
his  absolute  ignorance  of  the  city,  but  Scott 
resolved  to  break  away  from  him  as  soon  as 
possible. 

Looking  toward  the  desk,  he  espied  a  copy  of 
the  New  York  directory. 

That  gave  him  an  idea.  He  would  look  up 
the  name  of  Ezra  Little,  and  find  out  where  he 
lived  and  what  his  business  was. 

Turning  over  the  pages  of  the  bulky  volume, 
he  came  to  the  letter  L.  There  was  a  long  list 
of  Littles.  Finally,  he  found  Ezra  Little,  dry 
goods,  No.  849  Eighth  Avenue;  house,  392 
West  Forty-seventh  Street. 

"  I  will  go  to  see  him  to-morrow,''  thought 
Scott,  hopefully.  "  Since  he  has  a  store,  he 
may  find  a  place  for  me." 

Just  off  the  ship,  he  found  that  walking 
about  the  streets  had  fatigued  him,  and  he 
went  to  bed  about  nine  o'clock. 


The  Young  Salesman.  19 

Lane  had  requested  him  to  leave  the  door  un- 
locked, so  that  he  might  get  in  without  diffi- 
culty on  his  return  from  the  theater.  Indeed, 
Scott  was  obliged  to  do  this,  as  Lane  had 
carried  off  the  key,  intentionally  or  otherwise. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  Scott 
had  divided  his  small  capital  into  two  equal 
parts,  one  of  which  he  placed  in  the  original 
envelope  in  his  coat  pocket,  the  other  in  an  in- 
side pocket  in  his  vest. 

The  coat  he  hung  over  a  chair,  but  the  vest 
he  thought  it  prudent  to  place  under  his  pillow. 

It  was  not  long  before  Scott  was  sound 
asleep.  He  found  himself  more  fatigued  than 
he  had  supposed. 

Crawford  Lane  had  gone  to  Niblo's  Theater, 
where  there  was  a  showy  spectacular  plays 
which  suited  his  fancy.  On  his  way  home,  he 
stepped  into  a  hotel,  where  he  picked  up  a  copy 
of  the  New  York  Herald. 

He  looked  it  over  listlessly,  but  all  at  once 
he  started  in  surprise,  not  unmixed  with  dis- 
may. In  the  list  of  passengers  on  the  Etruria3 
which  had  arrived  very  early  the  previous  even- 
ing, he  saw  the  name  of  Justin  Wood. 

There  was  nothing  remarkable  about  the 
name,  but  it  so  happened  that  it  had  peculiar 
associations  for  Crawford  Lane. 

Seven  weeks  before,  he  had  gone  abroad  with 
Justin  Wood,  a  wealthy  young  man,  as  his 
companion.  Wood  was  liberal,  and  he  had 
taken  a  fancy  to  Lane  to  such  an  extent  that 


20  The  Young  Salesman. 

he  offered  to  defray  his  expenses  on  a  short 
European  trip. 

In  London,  Crawford  Lane  managed  to  rob 
his  companion  of  a  considerable  sum  of  money, 
and,  of  course,  disappeared  directly  afterward. 

For  three  weeks  he  spent  money  profusely. 
At  the  end  of  that  time,  he  had  barely  enough 
left  to  buy  a  ticket  for  New  York  by  the  ship 
ArcUirus. 

When  he  landed,  his  funds  had  dwindled  to 
three  dollars,  but  he  expected  to  increase  them 
by  appropriating  the  Bank  of  England  notes 
which  he  learned  were  in  the  possession  of 
Scott  Walton. 

But  the  arrival  of  Justin  Wood  complicated 
matters.  He  must  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the 
man  he  had  robbed,  and  this  would  not  be  easy 
while  both  were  in  the  same  city. 

"  Suppose  he  had  been  at  the  theater  this 
evening!  "  he  said  to  himself,  nervously. 

As  Justin  Wood  was  an  athlete,  an  en- 
counter would  probably  have  been  far  from 
pleasant  for  his  faithless  friend. 

Crawford  Lane  pursued  his  way  homeward 
in  a  very  serious  frame  of  mind. 

"  It  is  lucky,"  he  thought,  "  that  fate  has 
thrown  in  my  way  this  green  boy.  With  his 
hundred  dollars  I  will  start  to-morrow  for 
Chicago,  and  stay  there  for  the  present.  That 
will  keep  me  out  of  the  way  of  Justin  Wood." 

It  was  about  midnight  when  Lane  reached 
the  hotel  on  the  Bowery.  He  went  upstairs  at 
once. 


The  Young  Salesman.  21 

As  he  lit  the  gas  he  turned  his  gaze  on  the 
bed  near  the  window.  Scott  was  fast  asleep, 
with  one  arm  thrown  carelessly  over  the  quilt. 

"  Sleeping  like  a  top !  "  murmured  Lane. 
"  These  young  boys  always  sleep  sound.  I 
used  to  when  I  was  a  boy.  I  had  an  easy  con- 
science then,"  he  continued,  with  a  half  laugh. 
"  I'm  not  quite  so  innocent  as  I  was,  but  I 
know  a  lot  more.  Well,  I  must  get  to  bed,  for 
I  must  be  up  bright  and  early  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." 

He  carefully  locked  the  door,  for  he  did  not 
want  any  one  else  to  anticipate  him  in  his  dis- 
honest plans. 

Crawford  Lane  slept  rather  later  than  he. 
intended.  When,  upon  opening  his  eyes,  he 
consulted  his  watch  he  found  that  it  was  half- 
past  seven  o'clock. 

"  I  ought  to  have  been  up  an  hour  ago,"  he 
said  to  himself.  "  Suppose  the  boy  is  awake, 
all  my  plans  would  be  upset." 

He  dressed  in  great  haste,  and  then,  with 
one  eye  upon  the  sleeping  boy,  tiptoed  to  the 
chair  over  which  Scott's  coat  wTas  hanging, 
and  drew  out  the  envelope  from  the  inside 
pocket. 

He  would  have  examined  the  contents,  but 
Scott  stirred  slightly,  and  Lane  felt  that  it 
would  be  the  part  of  prudence  to  leave  the 
room  at  once. 

He  went  downstairs  and  reported  at  the 
desk,  valise  in  hand. 


22  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  ani  obliged  to  take  an  early  train  for  the 
West,"  he  said,  "  and  will  settle  my  part  of  the 
bill." 

"  Will  the  boy  remain?  " 
"  Yes ;  his  uncle  will  call  for  him  during  the 
day." 

"  Very  well,  sir.    Breakfast  is  on  the  table." 
"  I  shall  not  be  able  to  stop,  as  I  am  already 

late.    I  left  the  boy  asleep.    If  he  inquires  for 
■  me  you  may  tell  him  I  will  write  him  from— 

Buffalo." 

"  Very  well,  sir" 

Lane  went  out  and  got  breakfast  on  Fulton 
Street. 

"  I  hope  I  have  seen  the  youngster  for  the 
last  time,"  he  said  to  himself. 

There  was  one  awkward  thing  in  his  way. 
He  would  have  preferred  to  leave  the  city  at 
once,  but  outside  of  the  English  notes,  he  had 
scarcely  any  money,  and  it  would  be  necessary 
to  wait  till  ten  o'clock,  when  he  could  call  at 
some  broker's  and  exchange  them  for  Ameri- 
can bills. 

Lane  went  into  the  Astor  House  and  entered 
one  of  the  small  reading-rooms  on  the  second 
floor. 

Then,  for  the  first  time,  he  opened  the  en- 
velope and  examined  his  booty. 

To  his  great  disappointment,  he  found  but 
half  the  sum  he  expected  to  find— but  ten 
pound  in  place  of  twenty. 

"  Confusion !  "  he  muttered.    "  Was  the  boy 


The  Young  Salesman.  23 

deceiving  me?  He  certainly  said  that  he  had 
twenty  pounds." 

The  explanation  of  the  discrepancy  readily 
suggested  itself.  The  boy  had  placed  the  bal- 
ance of  the  notes  somewhere  else. 

"  I  wish  I  had  the  sense  to  examine  the  en- 
velope before  I  left  the  room." 

But  the  boy  might  have  waked  up,  and 
though  he  regretted  not  having  taken  all  his 
money,  Lane  felt  that  he  must  make  the  ten 
pounds  do. 

Meanwhile  Scott  slept  on  till  eight  o'clock. 

When  he  opened  his  eyes  he  looked  over  to 
the  other  bed.  Evidently  it  had  been  slept  in, 
but  it  seemed  now  to  be  unoccupied. 

It  occurred  to  Scott  as  singular  that  his 
companion,  who  must  have  got  to  bed  late, 
should  have  risen  so  early,  but  no  suspician 
of  wrong-doing  entered  his  mind  till  he  put  on 
his  coat.  Then  he  discovered  at  once  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  envelope. 

Scott  was  startled. 

"  He  has  stolen  my  money,"  he  instantly  de- 
cided. 

He  felt  in  the  pocket  of  his  vest.  The  other 
ten  notes  were  there,  fortunately,  but  Scott 
was  by  no  means  satisfied  to  give  up  the  ten  he 
had  lost.  He  hurried  down  the  stairs,  and  in 
some  excitement  went  up  to  the  hotel  clerk. 


24  The  Young  Salesman. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

TRACKING  THE  THIEF. 

With  some  agitation  Scott  addressed  the 
clerk.  "  Has  the  gentleman  who  came  with  me 
left  the  hotel?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer,  "  about  an  hour 
since." 

"Isn't  he  coming  back?" 

"  No.  He  told  me  to  tell  you  that  he  was 
called  suddenly  to  the  West.  He  will  write  to 
you  from  Buffalo." 

Scott  felt  limp  and  helpless.  He  turned 
pale  and  clung  to  the  counter  for  support. 

He  was  only  a  boy,  and  he  realized  that  with 
his^  companion  went  half  his  scanty  means. 

"  Didn't  Mr.  Lane  take  breakfast  here9  "  he 
asked.     "  Perhaps  he  is  still  here." 

"  No ;  he  said  he  could  not  wait.  He  wanted 
to  catch  the  early  train.  It  is  strange  he  didn't 
tell  you  he  was  going.  You  are  young  to  be 
left  alone." 

"I  don't  mind  that,"  said  Scott,  bitterly, 
but  he  has  robbed  me." 

«™?hJ"xi    returned      the      clerk,      briskly. 
"What's  that?"  J 

"  He  stole  ten  pounds  in  English  notes  from 
my  pocket  while  I  slept." 
The  clerk  whistled. 

"  Is  he  a  relation  of  yours?  "  he  asked. 
"  No;  he  was  only  a  fellow  passenger  on  the 


The  Young  Salesman.  25 

ship  Arcturus,  which  arrived  in  this  port  yes- 
terday morning." 

"  Then  you  haven't  known  him  long?  " 

"No." 

"  I  am  very  much  surprised.  He  seemed  like 
a  gentleman." 

"What  shall  I  do?"  asked  Scott,  feeling 
that  he  needed  advice  from  some  one  who  knew 
the  world  better  than  he  did. 

"  You  might  inform  the  police." 

"  But  if  he  has  already  left  the  city,  I  am 
afraid  it  wouldn't  do  much  good." 

"Did  he  take  all  you  had?"  inquired  the 
clerk,  with  the  sudden  thought  that  in  that 
case  Scott  would  be  unable  to  pay  his  hotel 
bill. 

"  No ;  I  divided  my  money  into  two  parts. 
He  only  took  half." 

"  That  was  lucky,"  said  the  clerk,  relieved. 
n  Perhaps  he  hasn't  left  the  city  yet,"  he  added, 
after  a  pause. 

"  But  he  was  going  for  an  early  train,  you 
told  me." 

"  That  is  what  he  said.  He  might  wait  till 
after  ten  o'clock  to  change  the  notes.  Have 
you  the  number  of  them?  " 

"  No,  or — yes,  I  can  tell  what  they  would  be 
from  those  I  have  left.  Probably  they  would 
come  directly  before  or  directly  after  those." 

"  Then  you  stand  a  chance  to  recover  them, 
or  at  any  rate  to  have  him  arrested.  It  is  too 
early  to  do  anything  yet.    You  had  better  eat 


26  The  Young  Salesman. 

breakfast,  and  then  go  down  to  Wall  Street. 
That  is  where  the  brokers  have  their  offices, 
and  you  may  meet  him  there." 

"  Thank  you." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  remain  here?  " 

"  Yes,  for  the  present.  I  shall  probably  stay 
till  to-morrow,  at  any  rate." 

Scott  went  in  to  breakfast,  and  notwith- 
standing his  loss  he  ate  heartily.  He  was  of 
a  sanguine  temperament  and  disposed  to  make 
the  best  of  circumstances.  So  he  congratu- 
lated himself  on  having  retained  a  part  of  his 
money. 

a  When  do  the  brokers'  offices  open?"  he 
asked,  when  he  again  saw  the  clerk. 

"  At  ten  o'clock." 

"  I  will  walk  leisurely  toward  Wall  Street, 
then.    If  Mr.  Lane  comes  back " 

"  If  he  does,  we  will  keep  him.  But  I  don't 
think  there  is  any  chance  of  it." 

Scott  walked  down  to  the  City  Hall  Park, 
and  then  proceeded  down  Broadway  in  the 
direction  of  Trinity  Church,  which,  he  was 
told,  faced  the  head  of  Wall  Street. 

As  he  was  passing  the  Astor  House,  he  es- 
pied a  familiar  face  and  figure.  It  was  the  boy 
who  had  spoken  to  Crawford  Lane  the  day  be- 
fore— John  Schickling. 

"  Good-morning ! "  he  said,  touching  the 
boy's  arm. 

John  Schickling  looked  round  with  a  puz- 
zled expression,  for  he  did  not  recognize  Scott. 


The  Young  Salesman.  27 

The  day  previous  he  had  only  taken  notice  of 
Crawford  Lane,  and  not  of  his  companion. 

"  I  don't  remember  you,"  he  said. 

"  I  was  walking  with  Mr.  Lane  yesterday 
when  you  spoke  to  him." 

u  Oh,  yes.    Where  is  he  now?  " 

"  That's  what  I  want  to  find  out.  He  and  I 
stopped  at  a  hotel  on  the  Bowery  last  night. 
When  I  woke  up  this  morning  I  found  that  he 
had  stolen  some  of  my  money  and  disap- 
peared." 

"  He's  a  rascal !  "  said  John,  warmly.  "  It 
is  just  like  him.    Had  you  known  him  long?  " 

"  No ;  we  met  on  board  the  ship  that  brought 
us  over  from  Liverpool.  I  am  a  stranger  in 
the  city,  and  he  agreed  to  act  as  my  guide." 

"  You  didn't  expect  you  would  have  to  pay 
so  dearlv  for  it?  " 

"  No." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?  " 

"  The  money  he  took  was  in  English  bank- 
notes, and  the  hotel  clerk  thought  he  might  go 
down  to  Wall  Street  to  exchange  them  at  some 
broker's." 

"  Very  likely.  And  you  are  going  there 
now?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  I'll  go  with  you.  I  want  to  collect 
that  money  he  owes  mother." 

"  I  will  be  glad  of  your  company.  I  feel 
strange  in  America.     I  am  an  English  boy." 

"  I'll  help  you  all  I  can.    I  am  on  an  errand 


28  The  Young  Salesman. 

for  my  brother.  He  is  a  young  man,  and  I 
work  for  him,  but  I  know  he  won't  mind  my 
following  up  this  fellow  and  trying  to  make 
him  pay  me.    Say,  how  old  are  you?  " 

"  Sixteen." 

"  I  am  fifteen." 

"  You  are  the  first  American  boy  I  have 
met." 

"  I  hope  you  will  like  me  better  than  Mr. 
Lane.  He  is  an  American,  but  isn't  much 
credit  to  the  country." 

The  two  boys  reached  Wall  Street  about  ten 
minutes  past  ten.  They  turned  the  corner 
and  entered  the  great  financial  artery  of  New 
York. 

Soon  they  reached  a  broker's  office,  and  went 
in. 

Advised  by  John,  Scott  went  up  to  a  small 
window,  behind  which  stood  a  clerk. 

"  I  have  some  English  notes  which  I  would 
like  to  exchange  for  American  money,"  he 
said. 

"  Hand  them  to  me." 

As  he  looked  them  over,  the  clerk's  face 
showed  surprise. 

"  I  have  just  bought  some,"  he  said,  "  the 
numbers  of  which  correspond  very  nearly  with 
these." 

Scott  grew  excited. 

"  What  was  the  appearance  of  the  man  who 
presented  them  ?  " 

The  description  was  given. 


The  Young  Salesman.  29 

«  They  were  my  notes,"  said  Scott.  "  The 
man  stole  them  from  me.    Where  did  he  go?  " 

"  I  can't  tell,  but  perhaps  our  messenger 
may  know.    Wait  a  minute." 

The  messenger — William  Doon,  a  boy  of 
eighteen — remembered  that  Lane  had  gone  as 
far  as  Broadway,  and  turned  to  go  uptown. 

"  Come  along,"  said  John,  "  we  may  catch 
him  yet." 

Scot  gave  himself  up  to  the  guidance  of  his 
boy  friend,  and  hurried  up  Broadway,  but 
without  much  hope  of  finding  Lane.  He  had 
not  yet  sold  his  notes,  feeling  that  he  must  if 
possible  catch  the  thief  who  had  plundered 
him. 

Just  above  Chambers  Street,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  street,  was  a  cut-rate  railway  ticket 
office. 

"  Suppose  we  go  in  there,"  suggested  John. 
"  He  may  buy  a  ticket  for  some  place  out  West. 
He  wouldn't  dare  to  stay  in  New  York." 

This  seemed  not  unlikely,  and  Scott  fol- 
lowed young  Schickling  into  the  office. 

It  was  a  lucky  thought.  No  sooner  had  they 
entered  than  Scott  recognized  his  faithless 
acquaintance  at  the  counter  inquiring  the 
price  of  a  ticket  to  Chicago. 

"  I  can  give  you  a  ticket  this  morning  for 
fourteen  dollars,"  said  the  agent.  "  It  is  a 
rare  chance,  but  it  will  have  to  be  used  within 
three  days." 

"  I  will  take  it,"  answered  Lane,  drawing  a 
roll  of  bills  from  his  pocket. 


30  The  Young  Salesman. 

It  was  the  money  he  had  received  from  the 
broker. 

Scott  was  exasperated  at  the  man's  coolness, 
He  was  no  milk-and-water  boy,  but  a  lad  of 
spirit. 

"  Mr.  Lane,"  he  said,  grasping  the  other's 
arm,"  give  me  back  that  money  vou  stole  from 
me." 

Crawford  Lane  turned  and  gazed  at  Scott 
in  dismay.  He  had  never  expected  to  see  him 
again,  and  could  not  understand  how  he  had 
got  upon  his  track.  But  he  decided  to  brazen 
it  out. 

"What  do  you  mean,  boy?"  he  demanded, 
roughly.    "  You  must  be  crazy." 

"  I  mean  this,  that  you  stole  some  English 
bank-notes  from  me  at  the  hotel  where  we 
slept,  and " 

"  That  is  absurd.  I  leave  it  to  this  gentle- 
man whether  these  are  English  notes." 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  the  ticket  agent. 
"  This  is  American  money." 

"  If  you  don't  leave  this  office  and  stop 
annoying  me  I  will  have  you  arrested,"  blus- 
tered Lane. 

"  No,  you  don't,"  interposed  John  Schick - 
ling,  whom  until  now  Lane  had  not  noticed. 
"  We're  on  to  your  little  game.  We've  just 
come  from  the  broker's  office  where  you  ex- 
changed the  money." 


The  Young  Salesman.  31 

CHAPTER  V. 

AN   UNPLEASANT  SURPRISE. 

Crawford  Lane  was  considerably  discon- 
certed. 

"  I  will  call  later  and  buy  the  ticket,"  he 
said  to  the  broker.  "  At  present  I  have  some 
business  with  this  young  rascal,  who  robbed 
me  this  morning  of  a  considerable  sum  of 
money.  Now  he  has  the  assurance  to  make  a 
charge  against  me." 

The  broker  looked  from  one  to  the  other. 
He  was  bewildered,  and  could  not  decide  which 
to  believe. 

Crawford  Lane  and  the  two  boys  went  out 
into  the  street. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Lane,"  said  Scott,  in  a  resolute 
tone,  "  please  hand  over  that  money." 

"  So  you  are  acting  the  part  of  a  highway 
robber,  are  you?  If  you  know  what  is  best 
for  yourself  you  will  get  away  from  here  as 
soon  as  possible." 

"  I  am  ready  to  go  as  soon  as  you  give  me 
my  money.     If  not " 

"Well,  if  not?" 

"  I  will  summon  a  policeman." 

It  chanced  that  a  member  of  the  Broadway 
squad  was  within  hearing. 

He  stopped  and  said :  "  Am  I  wanted  here?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Lane,  quickly ;  "  I  want  you 
to  arrest  that  boy." 

"On  what  charge?" 


32  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Robbery.  I  took  pity  on  him,  and  though 
I  knew  scarcely  anything  of  him,  I  let  him  oc- 
cupy the  same  room  with  myself  at  a  hotel  on 
the  Bowery  last  night.  He  stole  some  Bank 
of  England  notes  from  my  pocket  while  I  was 
sleeping,  and  I  want  him  arrested." 

Scott's  breath  was  quite  taken  away  by  the 
audacious  misrepresentation  of  his  treacherous 
acquaintance. 

"  Well,  what  have  you  to  say?  "  asked  the 
policeman. 

"  Only  that  this  man  was  himself  the  thief, 
and  stole  the  notes  from  me." 

"  You  young  rascal ! "  exclaimed  Lane,  in 
assumed  indignation.  "  That  is  a  likely  story. 
I  leave  it  to  the  officer  which  was  more  likely 
to  have  money  to  be  taken — a  gentleman  like 
myself,  or  a  boy  like  you." 

"  I  think  you  will  have  to  come  with  me," 
said  the  officer  to  Scott. 

"  But,"  put  in  John  Schickling,  "  that  man 
has  told  you  a  lie.  He  owes  my  mother  nine 
dollars  for  room  rent." 

"  I  never  saw  the  boy  before  in  the  whole 
course  of  my  life,"  said  Lane,  boldly.  "  He 
seems  to  be  a  confederate  of  the  boy  who  robbed 
me." 

"  You  can  tell  your  story  at  the  police  sta- 
tion," said  the  policeman  to  Scott.  "  You,  sir, 
can  go  with  me  and  prefer  a  charge." 

"  I  am  in  a  great  hurry,"  replied  Lane,  tak- 
ing out  his  watch.    "  I  will  call  at  the  police 


The  Young  Salesman.  33 

station  in  an  hour.    Now  I  have  an  important 
engagement." 

"  You  will  have  to  come  now,"  said  the 
officer,  beginning  to  be  suspicious. 

"  Oh,  well,  if  it  is  necessary,"  said  Lane, 
determined  to  brazen  it  out. 

Scott  was  considerably  taken  aback  at  the 
unexpected  turn  which  matters  had  taken,  and 
felt  some  anxiety. 

"  Will  you  come  with  me?  "  he  said,  address- 
ing John  Schickling. 

"  You  bet  I  will,"  responded  John,  briskly. 
"  I  ain't  goin'  back  on  a  friend.  I'll  tell  you 
what  I  know  about  this  man." 

"  You'd  better  clear  out,"  said  Lane,  "  if 
you  know  what  is  best  for  you,  or  you'll  find 
yourself  in  hot  water,  too." 

"  I'll  take  the  risk,"  rejoined  John,  not  at  all 
alarmed. 

So  they  started  for  the  station  house  in  the 
City  Hall,  when  something  unexpected  hap- 
pened. 

A  young  man,  handsomely  dressed,  met  the 
procession,  as  he  was  himself  walking  up 
Broadway.  His  eyes  lighted  up  when  they 
rested  on  Crawford  Lane. 

He  darted  forward,  and  grasped  him  by 
the  arm. 

"  At  last  I  have  found  you !  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  Officer,  I  call  upon  you  to  arrest  this  man." 

The  officer  stared,  surprised  as  he  might 
well  be. 


34  The  Young  Salesman. 

Crawford  Lane  tried  to  release  himself  from 
the  grasp  of  the  speaker,  and  had  he  succeeded 
would  have  fled  uncermoniously. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  asked  the  police- 
man. "  He  is  going  with  me  to  the  station 
house  to  prefer  a  charge  against  this  boy." 

"  That's  a  good  joke !    He  prefer  a  charge !  " 

"  He  says  the  boy  has  robbed  him." 

"  Then  you  may  conclude  that  he  has  robbed 
the  boy.  He  robbed  me  in  London,  some  weeks 
since,  and  I  have  just  caught  him." 

"  This  is  all  a  mistake,"  said  Lane,  hur- 
riedly.   "  Officer,  you  may  let  the  boy  go." 

"  Do  you  withdraw  the  charge?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  prefer  to  go  to  the  station  house,"  said 
Scott,  quietly.  "  I  wish  to  tell  my  story  there. 
This  man  stole  ten  pounds  from  me  in  English 
money." 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  sudden  excite- 
ment in  the  street.  A  man  had  been  knocked 
over  by  a  passing  truck,  and  all  eyes  were 
turned  toward  the  scene  of  the  accident. 

Justin  Wood  removed  his  hand  from  the  arm 
of  Crawford  Lane,  and  the  latter  lost  no  time 
in  taking  advantage  of  his  freedom.  He  darted 
down  a  side  street,  and  when  his  companions 
turned  to  look  for  him  he  had  disappeared. 

Justin  Wood  looked  annoyed. 

"  He  has  escaped  this  time,"  he  exclaimed, 
"  but  I  will  have  him  yet." 

"  Then  I  shall  not  be  needed,"  said  the 
officer,  as  he  resumed  his  beat. 


The  Young  Salesman.  35 

"  How  did  this  man  get  a  chance  to  rob 
you?"  asked  Justin  Wood,  turning  to  Scott. 

Scott  briefly  explained. 

"  Did  he  take  all  your  money?  " 

"  No,  sir.    I  have  ten  pounds  left." 

"  Pardon  me,  but  is  this  all  you  have?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  But  you  have  a  home?  " 

"  Only  such  a  home  as  I  may  be  able  to 
make  for  myself." 

"Have  you  no  relatives  in  this  city?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  have  one.  I  am  going  to  see  him 
if  I  can,  this  afternoon." 

Mr.  Wood  took  a  card  from  his  pocket. 

"  I  am  staying  at  the  Gilsey  House,"  he  said. 
"  If  you  need  help  or  advice,  call  there  and  send 
up  your  name.  By  the  way,  what  is  your 
name?  " 

"  Scott  Walton;' 

"  I  shall  remember  it.  Now  I  must  leave  you 
as,  like  your  late  friend,  I  have  an  important 
engagement." 

"  I  suppose  I  must  be  getting  back,"  said 
John,  "  as  my  brother  will  need  me.  I  am 
sorry  I  didn't  collect  the  nine  dollars  from  that 

jay." 

"  He  has  got  the  best  of  all  of  us,"  returned 
Scott.  "  Where  do  you  live?  I  may  want  to 
look  you  up  some  day." 

"  In  West  Thirty-sixth  Street,"  said  John. 
"  I  haven't  got  any  card  with  me,  but  I  can 
give  you  the  number." 


36  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  won't  forget  it.  You  have  been  my  first 
friend  in  New  York,  and  I  don't  want  to  lose 
you." 

"  I  never  thought  I  would  like  an  English 
boy  before,"  said  John,  "  but  I  like  you." 

"  Thank  you.  I  hope  '  we  shall  remain 
friends." 

When  Scott  was  left  alone  it  occurred  to 
him  that  he  had  not  yet  exchanged  his  English 
money,  and  he  returned  to  the  broker's  office, 
where  he  made  the  exchange,  receiving  about 
fifty  dollars  in  greenbacks. 

"  This  is  all  I  have  to  depend  upon,"  re- 
flected Scott.  "  It  won't  do  for  me  to  remain 
at  the  hotel  much  longer.  My  money  would 
soon  be  gone." 

He  had  ascertained  that  the  rates  at  the 
hotel  were  two  dollars  a  day,  including  board. 

This  was  not  a  large  price,  but  Scott  felt 
that  it  was  more  than  he  could  afford  to  pay. 
It  was  absolutely  necessary  that  he  should 
begin  to  earn  something  as  soon  as  possible. 

He  could  decide  upon  nothing  till  he  had 
seen  his  mother's  cousin,  Ezra  Little.  If  that 
gentleman  should  agree  to  take  him  into  his 
store  in  any  capacitv,  he  felt  that  his  anxieties 
would  be  at  an  end.  Hence,  it  was  desirable 
that  he  should  see  Mr.  Little  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. He  had  already  ascertained  that  his 
relative  was  in  the  dry-goods  business  on 
Eighth  Avenue,  but  he  felt  that  it  would  be 
better  to  call  upon  him  at  his  residence  on 


The  Young  Salesman.  37 

West  Forty-seventh  Street.  Probably  Mr. 
Little  would  have  more  leisure  to  talk  with  him 
there. 

It  was  with  a  fast-beating  heart  that  Scott, 
standing-  on  the  steps  of  a  three-story  brick 
house  on  West  Forty-seventh  Street,  rang  the 
bell. 

The  door  was  opened  by  a  servant  girl. 

Just  behind  her  was  a  boy  who  looked  to  be 
about  Scott's  age,  and  who  listened  inquisi- 
tively to  what  Scott  had  to  say. 

"Is  Mr.  Little  at  home?" 

"  He  will  be  in  in  a  few  minutes.  You  can 
come  in  and  wait  for  him." 

"  I  should  like  to  do  so." 

The  servant  opened  the  door  leading  into  a 
small  reception  room  to  the  left  of  the  front 
hall,  and  Scott,  entering,  seated  himself. 

The  boy  already  referred  to  entered  also. 
He  was  a'very  plain-looking  youth  with  light 
red  hair. 

"Did  you  have  business  with  Mr.  Little?" 
he  asked^  curiously.     "  I  am  his  son." 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  vou  come  from  the  store?  " 

"  No." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  meaning  to  apply  for  a 
place  there?  " 

"  I  should  be  glad  if  your  father  would  give 
me  a  place.  I  have  just  come  from  England. 
My  mother  was  a  cousin  of  Mr.  Little." 


38  The  Young  Salesman. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

SCOTT  FINDS  A  RELATIVE  AND  A  PLACE. 

Loammi  Little,  for  this  was  the  name  of  the 
red-haired  boy,  regarded  Scott  with  curiosity 
mingled  with  surprise. 

"  What  is  your  name?  "  he  asked,  abruptly. 

"  Scott  Walton." 

"  I  never  heard  of  you,  though  I  have  heard 
pa  say  that  a  cousin  of  his  married  a  man 
named  Walton.     Where  is  your  father?  " 

"  He  is  dead,"  answered  Scott,  sadly.  "  He 
died  on  the  voyage  over." 

"  Humph  !  "  said  Loammi,  in  a  tone  far  from 
sympathetic.     "  I  suppose  you  are  poor." 

"  I  am  not  rich,"  replied  Scott,  coldly. 

He  began  to  resent  the  unfeeling  questions 
with  which  his  cousin  was  plying  him. 

"  If  you  have  come  over  here  to  live  on  pa, 
I  don't' think  he  will  like  it." 

"  I  don't  want  to  live  on  any  one,"  said 
Scott,  his  cheeks  flushing  with  anger.  "  I  am 
ready  to  earn  my  own  living." 

"  That's  the  way  pa  did.  He  came  over  here 
a  poor  boy,  or  rather  a  poor  young  man." 

"  I  respect  him  the  more  for  it." 

"  All  the  same  I  would  rather  begin  life 
with  a  little  money,"  said  Loammi. 

"  I  have  a  little  money,"  rejoined  Scott,  with 
a  half  smile. 

"How  much?" 


The  Young  Salesman.  39 

"  I  would  rather  wait  and  tell  your  father 
my  circumstances." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  you  don't  like  to  tell.  Pa'll 
tell  me  all  about  it." 

"  That  is  as  he  chooses — but  I  would  rather 
tell  him  first." 

"How  old  are  you?"  asked  Loammi,  after 
a  pause. 

"  Sixteen." 

"So  am  I." 

"  Your  father  has  a  store  on  Eighth  Ave- 
nue? " 

"  Yes;  have  you  been  in  it?  " 

"  Not  yet.  I  only  arrived  in  New  York  yes- 
terday." 

"  Where  are  you  living?  " 

"  In  a  hotel  on  the  Bowery." 

"  That  isn't  a  fashionable  street." 

"  So  I  judge ;  but  I  can't  afford  to  board  on 
a  fashionable  street." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.  You  are  pretty  well 
dressed,  though." 

"  My  father  bought  me  this  suit  in  London 
before  we  started  for  America.  Are  you  work- 
ing in  your  father's  store?  " 

"  No,  I  am  attending  school.  I  am  not  a 
poor  boy,  and  don't  have  to  work.  Did  you 
work  any  before  you  left  the  old  country?  " 

"  No,  I  was  at  school." 

"Are  you  a  good  scholar?" 

"  That  isn't  for  me  to  say.  I  stood  very  well 
in  school." 


40  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  am  studying  Latin  and  Greek,"  observed 
Loam  mi,  proudly. 

"  I  have  studied  them  both,"  said  Scott, 
quietly. 

"  How  far  were  you  in  Latin?  " 

"  I  was  reading  Cicero's  orations  when  I 
left  school." 

As  this  was  considerably  beyond  the  point 
to  which  Loammi  had  attained,  he  made  no 
comment.  He  was  considering  what  question 
to  ask  next,  when  his  father  entered  the  room. 

There  was  a  strong  resemblance  between 
father  and  son.  Ezra  Little  was  a  slender 
man,  about  five  feet  ten  inches  in  height,  with 
hair  of  a  yellowish-red,  inclined  to  be  thin 
toward  the  top  of  the  head. 

There  was  a  feeble  growth  of  side  whiskers 
extending  halfway  down  each  cheek.  His 
eyes  were  of  a  pale  blue,  and  his  look  was 
shrewd  and  cold. 

He  gazed  inquiringly  at  Scott. 

"  This  boy  says  his  mother  was  your  cousin, 
pa,"  exclaimed  Loammi. 

"  What  name?  "  asked  Ezra. 

"  Scott  Walton." 

Ezra  Little  nodded. 

"  I  see.    Your  father  was  an  artist?  " 

«  yes." 

"  Where  is  he?  " 

"  He  died  on  the  voyage  over." 

"Leaving  you  alone  in  the  world?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Scott,  sadly. 


The  Young  Salesman.  41 

"Well,  what  are  your  plans?" 

This  question   was  asked  coldly. 

"  My  father  died  so  lately  that  I  haven't 
had  time  to  form  any  plans.  I  thought  I  would 
like  to  consult  you  about  them." 

"  I  suppose  vou  haven't  much  money?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  You  have  some?  " 

"  About  ten  pounds." 

"  Fifty  dollars." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  that  is  all?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  That  won't  keep  you  long,"  said  Loamini, 
disdainfully.  "  I  s'pose  you'll  expect  pa  to 
take  care  of  you." 

"Have  I  hinted  anything  of  the  kind?" 
demanded  Scott,  indignantly.  "  I  am  young 
and  strong-,  and  I  am  quite  ready  to  earn  my 
own  living.  I  don't  want  anybody  to  support 
me." 

"  Well  spoken,  lad ! "  said  Ezra,  in  a  tone 
of  approval.  "  I'll  think  over  your  case. 
Loammi,  tell  your  mother  that  Scott  will  stay 
to  supper." 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

Mrs.  Little  was  as  plain  in  appearance  as  her 
husband  and  son,  but  Scott  liked  her  better. 
She  appeared  to  have  a  kindly  disposition,  and 
expressed  sympathy  for  him  when  she  heard  of 
his  father's  death. 

This   was   in   contrast   to   Mr.   Little  and 


4  z  The  Young  Salesman. 

Loanimi,  upon  whom  it  seemed  to  make  no  im- 
pression. 

"And  where  are  you  staying,  Scott?"  she 
asked,  in  a  tone  of  friendly  interest. 

"  At  a  hotel  on  the  Bowery." 

"  How  much  do  they  charge  you?  "  inquired 
Ezra  Little. 

"  Two  dollars  a  day." 

"  It  is  very  extravagant  for  a  boy  with  your 
small  stock  of  money  to  pay  such  a  price." 

"  I  know  it,  sir,  but  I  only  went  there  yester- 
day.    I  shall  not  think  of  staying." 

Scott  had  decided  not  to  mention  his  loss  to 
Mr.  Little,  as  he  felt  sure  that  it  would  bring 
upon  him  a  reproof  for  his  credulity  in  trust- 
ing a  man  of  whom  he  knew  so  little  as  Craw- 
ford Lane. 

"Why  couldn't  he  come  here,  Ezra?"  sug- 
gested Mrs.  Little,  turning  to  her  husband. 

Mr.  Little  coughed. 

"  After  supper  I  shall  speak  to  Scott  about 
business,"  he  said,  "  and  that  point  will  be 
discussed." 

Scott  looked  forward  to  the  interview  with 
interest  and  anxiety.  For  him  a  great  deal 
depended  on  it. 

He  hoped  that  Mr.  Little  would  give  him  a 
place  in  the  store  where  he  would  be  in  the  line 
cf  promotion,  and  be  able  to  earn  his  living. 

He  followed  Mr.  Little  from  the  dining-room 
into  what  might  be  called  the  library,  though 
there  were  only  about  fifty  books  in  a  small 


The  Young  Salesman.  43 

bookcase.  There  was  a  desk,  however,  used 
by  Mr.  Little  for  letter-writing,  and  for  the 
keeping  of  his  accounts.  Here,  too,  he  received 
business  visitors. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  pointing  Scott  to  a  chair, 
"  now  we  will  discuss  your  plans.  You  want 
a  chance  to  work?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  may  find  a  place  for  you  in  my  store,  but 
I  warn  you  that  you  can't  expect  much  pay  to 
begin  with." 

"  I  don't  expect  much  pay,  sir.  If  I  can  earn 
enough  to  support  myself  it  will  satisfy  me." 

*  Eh,  but  that  would  require  high  pay.  It 
costs  a  good  deal  to  support  a  boy  in  New 
York." 

This  rather  alarmed  Scott,  for  he  felt  that 
he  must  manage  somehow  to  support  himself 
on  what  he  earned. 

"  We  generally  pay  a  beginner  only  three 
dollars  a  week,"  proceeded  Mr.  Little. 

"  Three  dollars  a  week !  "  Why,  Scott  was 
paying  two  dollars  a  day  for  his  board  and 
lodging  at  the  hotel. 

He  looked  at  Mr.  Little  in  dismay. 

"  I  shouldn't  think  I  could  support  myself 
on  three  dollars  a  week,"  he  said. 

"  We  might  strain  a  point  and  pay  you  three 
dollars  and  a  half." 

"  Is  there  any  boarding-house  where  I  could 
live  on  three  dollars  and  a  half?  " 

"  Well,  no ;  perhaps  not ;  but  you  have  some 
money,  you  tell  me." 


44  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  have  fifty  dollars." 

"  Just  at  first  you  can  use  a  part  of  that  to 
supply  deficiencies." 

*'  I  thought  I  might  need  that  for  clothes." 

"  Ahem  !  "  said  Mr.  Little.  "  I  have  thought 
a  way  out  of  the  difficulty." 

Scott  looked  at  him  hopefully. 

"  I  think  Mrs.  Little  can  find  a  small  room 
for  you  upstairs,  and  you  can  live  here." 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

"  Of  course  what  you  earn  in  the  store  won't 
pay  for  your  keep,  so  I  suggest  that  you  hand 
me  the  fifty  dollars  to  make  up." 

Scott  did  not  like  that  suggestion.  He  did 
not  feel  like  giving  up  the  money  bequeathed 
him  by  his  father.  It  would  make  him  feel 
helpless  and  dependent. 

Besides,  when  he  wanted  clothing,  where 
should  he  find  money  to  pay  for  it?  Yet,  if  he 
declined  Mr.  Little's  offer,  he  knew  that  the 
fifty  dollars  would  soon  be  exhausted,  and  he 
might  have  no  other  place  offered  him. 

"  When  could  I  move  here?  "  he  asked. 

"  To-morrow,  and  on  Monday  morning  you 
can  begin  work  at  the  store." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

"  You  can  give  me  the  money  now." 

"  I  will  give  you  forty  dollars,  but  I  shall 
have  to  pay  my  hotel  bill." 

"  You  can  keep  five  dollars  for  that.  It  will 
be  sufficient." 

So  Scott  handed  over  forty-five  dollars  to 


The  Young  Salesman.  45 

Mr.  Little,  who  counted  it  over  with  evident 
satisfaction.  Then  the  English  boy  started  for 
the  hotel. 

He  had  secured  a  place,  but  somehow  he  felt 
depressed.  His  prospects  did  not  seem  very 
bright,  after  all. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

AX    OLD    ACQUAINTANCE. 

After  Scott  paid  his  hotel  bill  and  reached 
his  new  home,  he  found  that  he  had  just  sixty 
cents  left  in  his  purse.  To  be  sure,  he  would 
be  at  no  more  expense  for  meals,  but  it  made 
him  feel  poor. 

When  he  left  the  ship  he  had  one  hundred 
dollars.  There  certainly  had  been  a  great 
shrinkage  in  his  resources. 

He  was  taken  by  the  servant  to  an  inside 
room  on  the  upper  floor.  Of  course  there  was 
no  window,  and  the  only  light  that  entered  the 
room  was  from  the  transom. 

It  seemed  gloomy,  and  bade  fair  to  be  very 
close.  If  it  had  only  been  an  outside  room 
with  a  small  window,  Scott  would  have  been 
more  content.  As  it  was,  he  found  that  the  two 
servants  were  much  better  provided  for  than 
he. 

The  bed,  however,  was  comfortable,  and  this 
was  a  partial  compensation.  But  he  reflected 
with  disappointment  that  the  room  would  be 
available  only  at  night.    He  could  not  very  well 


46  The  Young  Salesman. 

sit  in  it  by  day,  as  it  was  too  dark  for  liim  to 
read. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  when  I  get  to  work,"  he 
thought.    "  That  will  take  up  my  time." 

Meanwhile,  as  it  was  but  ten  o'clock,  it  oc- 
curred to  him  that  he  would  call  upon  Justin 
Wood  at  the  Gilsey  House.  He  easily  found 
the  hotel,  which  is  on  the  corner  of  Twenty- 
ninth  Street  and  Broadway. 

He  did  not  have  to  inquire  for  Mr.  Wood, 
as  he  saw  that  gentleman  through  the  window, 
sitting  in  the  reading-room. 

Justin  WTood  looked  up  from  the  paper  he 
was  reading  and  recognized  Scott  at  once. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  my  young  friend,"  he 
said,  with  a  pleasant  smile.  "  What  luck  have 
you  had?  " 

"  I  have  found  a  place,  sir." 

"  That  is  good.    It  hasn't  taken  vou  long." 

"  No,  sir." 

"  I  am  afraid  it  isn't  a  very  good  place. 
You  don't  look  in  good  spirits." 

"  No,  sir;  I  am  afraid  I  shan't  like  it." 

"  How  did  you  obtain  it?  " 

"  Through  the  relation  I  was  telling  you 
about.  He  keeps  a  dry-goods  store  on  Eighth 
Avenue,  and  he  will  give  me  a  place  in  his  em- 
ploy." 

"  Then  he  has  treated  you  as  a  relation 
should." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure,"  said  Scott,  slowly. 
"  He  took  all  my  money,  and  I  am  to  board  at 
his  house." 


The  Young  Salesman.  47 

"  Why  did  he  take  your  money?  " 

"  He  said  I  could  not  earn  iny  board,  and 
that  would  make  up  the  deficit." 

Justin  Wood  laughed. 

"  He  seems  to  be  a  very  shrewd  man.  Still, 
you  will  have  a  good  home." 

Again  Scott  looked  doubtful,  and  told  his 
new  acquaintance  of  the  small,  dark  room 
which  had  been  assigned  him. 

"  Yet  you  say  that  Mr.  Little  has  a  small 
family." 

"  He  has  one  son  of  about  my  age." 

"  Surely  there  ought  to  be  a  better  room 
for  vou  if  he  occupies  a  whole  house." 

"  I  should  think  so." 

"  He  might  have  put  you  into  the  same  room 
with  his  son." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  like  to  room  with 
Loammi." 

"  Then  you  don't  like  him?  " 

Scott  shook  his  head. 

"  We  shouldn't  agree,"  he  answered. 

"Why  not?" 

"  He  feels  above  me  because  of  my  poverty." 

"  The  most  prominent  merchants  in  the  city 
were  once  poor  boys." 

"  Then  there  is  hope  for  me,"  said  Scott, 
smiling  faintly. 

"  Have  you  been  to  your  relative's  store?  " 

"  Not  yet,  sir." 

"  I  remember  seeing  it.  It  is  quite  a  large 
one.    I  think  he  must  be  prosperous." 


48  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  get  to  work.  I 
don't  know  what  to  do  with  myself  now. 
Besides,  it  makes  me  feel  helpless  to  have  only 
sixty  cents  in  my  pocket." 

"  You'll  have  no  trouble  from  the  tax  collec- 
tor, that  is  certain.  It  is  rather  a  pity  you  told 
Mr.  Little  how  much  money  you  had." 

"  I  wish  I  hadn't,  now." 

"  I  don't  think  I  would  have  treated  a  poor 
cousin  so  if  he  had  come  across  the  Atlantic 
to  put  himself  under  my  charge." 

"  I  am  sure  you  wouldn't,  sir." 

"  What  makes  you  say  that?  You  don't 
know  much  about  me,"  said  Justin  Wood,  with 
a  smile. 

"  I  can  tell  by  your  looks." 

"  Looks  are  deceptive,"  remarked  the  young 
man,  but  he  looked  pleased  with  the  compli- 
ment. "  So  you  don't  go  to  work  till  Mon- 
day? " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  And  I  suppose  you  have  nothing  to  oc- 
cupv  you  to-day?  " 

"No,  sir." 

"  Then  be  my  guest.  I  will  show  you  some- 
thing of  the  city." 

"  You  are  very  kind,"  said  Scott,  gratefully. 

"  Oh,  I  shall  be  repaid.  I  was  wondering 
what  to  do  with  myself.  Now  the  problem  is 
solved.  Wait  here  a  minute  till  I  go  up  to  my 
room,  and  we  will  start." 

They  passed  through  Twenty-ninth  Street, 
and  boarded  a  Sixth  Avenue  car. 


The  Young  Salesman.  49 

"  You  have  never  been  to  Central  Park,  I 
presume,"  said  Wood. 

"  No,  sir.  I  have  only  been  about  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  city." 

"  We  think  Central  Park  a  very  pleasant 
place,"  said  the  young  man,  "  though  in  some 
respects  it  is  not  equal  to  the  London  parks." 

"  I  like  parks.  I  like  green  grass  and  trees. 
I  was  born  in  the  country." 

When  they  reached  Fifty-ninth  Street  they 
entered  the  park,  and  walked  leisurely  to  the 
lake.  Scott's  eyes  brightened,  and  his  step 
grew  more  elastic. 

"  This  is  fine,"  he  said.  "  How  large  is  the 
park?" 

"  It  is  about  two  miles  and  a  half  to  the 
extreme  northern  boundary.  We  won't  try  to 
see  the  whole.  I  will  only  show  you  the  most 
attractive  features.  You  will  be  surprised 
when  I  tell  you  that  I  haven't  been  in  the  park 
for  two  years." 

"  Yes,  I  am  surprised." 

"  I  have  no  carriage,  or  I  should  drive  here." 

"  But  it  is  pleasant  to  walk." 

"  Yes,  if  you  have  a  companion.  Most  of 
my  friends  are  men  of  business,  and  have 
no  time  to  spare  for  park  rambles." 

"  Mr.  Wood,  I  wish  you  were  in  business, 
and  I  were  in  your  employ,"  said  Scott,  im- 
pulsively. 

"  Thank  you,  Scott.  I  do  think  we  should 
get  along  well.  So  you  think  you  would  like 
me  better  than  your  new-found  relatives?  " 


5o  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Oh,  ever  so  much  !  " 

"  Then  I  will  try  to  foster  the  illusion,"  said 
the  young  man,  smiling.  "  Suppose  I  adopt 
you  as  a  cousin?  " 

"  I  wish  you  would." 

"  Very  well !  Then  we  will  look  upon  each 
in  that  light." 

"  Do  you  live  in  the  city,  Mr.  Wood?  " 

"  I  am  not  stationary  anywhere.  I  have  no 
fixed  home." 

"  Why  don't  you  go  into  business?  " 

"  Partly  because  I  am  blessed  with  a  suffi- 
ciency of  this  world's  goods." 

"  But  I  should  think  the  time  would  hang 
heavy  on  your  hands." 

"  Well,  you  see  I  have  something  to  do  in 
looking  after  my  property.  Besides,  I  am 
literary." 

"  Are  you  an  author?  " 

"  I  occasionally  write  for  magazines  and  re- 
views. I  am  a  graduate  of  Columbia  College. 
If  I  had  the  spur  of  necessity,  perhaps  I  might 
make  some  mark  in  literature.  As  it  is,  I  don't 
have  that  motive  for  working  hard.  I  am 
rather  glad  I  don't,  for  I  am  afraid  I  shouldn't 
be  able  to  live  at  the  Gilsey  House  if  I  de- 
pended upon  what  I  could  earn  by  my  pen. 
Well,  have  you  seen  enough  of  Central  Park?  " 
"  I  am  ready  to  go  anywhere  else,  sir." 
"  Then  I  will  go  with  you  to  the  other  end 
of  the  city  and  beyond.  Have  you  ever  heard 
of  Staten  Island?" 


The  Young  Salesman.  51 

"  No,  sir." 

"  It  is  a  few  miles  to  the  south  of  the  Bat- 
tery. I  own  a  small  piece  of  property  there — a 
couple  of  houses  at  New  Brighton,  which  are 
let  to  tenants.  They  have  sent  me  word  that 
they  need  some  repairs  made,  and  I  may  as 
well  go  over  and  see  them.  I  never  like  to 
travel  alone,  and  as  I  have  a  companion  I  may 
as  well  utilize  his  company." 

Half  an  hour  on  the  Sixth  Avenue  Elevated 
train  brought  them  from  Fifty-ninth  Street  to 
South  Ferry.  Close  beside  it  the  Staten  Island 
boats  started  from  their  pier. 

Scott  and  his  companion  went  on  board,  and 
ascended  the  stairs  to  the  upper  cabin.  Here 
they  found  seats  in  front,  and  sat  enjoying  the 
fine  breeze  which  is  almost  always  to  be  found 
on  this  trip.  Mr.  Wood  pointed  out  Governor's 
Island,  the  Statue  of  Liberty  and  other  notable 
sights. 

Arrived  at  Staten  Island,  they  took  cars  to 
New  Brighton.  Mr.  Wood  attended  to  his 
business,  and  then  took  Scott  on  an  extended 
ride  around  the  island.  But  first  he  stxrpped  at 
a  hotel  and  ordered  dinner.  This  they  both 
enjoyed. 

When  they  left  the  dining-room  and  went  out 
on  the  piazza  they  were  treated  to  a  surprise. 
In  an  armchair,  tilted  back,  with  his  feet  on 
the  balustrade,  sat  Crawford  Lane,  evidently 
enjoying  the  fine  breeze. 


52  The  Young  Salesman. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

SCOTT  RECOVERS  PART  OF  HIS  MONEY 
SPinnf  7  W°0D  Smiled  aS  he  SaW  h0W  ™COn- 

scious  Lane  was  of  his  presence.     Then  he 
Lane?  armWard  qUie%  and  laid  his  hand  on 

plea^ane/'  ^  Sald'  "  tMs  is  an  unexPected 
Lane  turned  quickly,  and  looked  very  much 

"  I— I  didn't  expect  to  meet  you  here  "  he 
stammered.  ' 

this^oy?"PreSUme  DOt'     D°n,t  J0U  reco^nize 
"Scott  Walton?" 

bZYeu  I  ?m  gIad/ou  ha™  not  forgotten 
him.    He  is  here  on  business." 

"  On  business?  " 

"Yes;  in  a  fit  of  absence  of  mind  you  re- 
heved  him  of  fifty  dollars,  or  the  equivalent  in 
English  bank-notes.  I  don't  say  anything 
about  the  considerably  larger  sum  which  you 
i™     w^me,  m  London>  for  I  ca*  stand  the 

S »      s   J  is  poor  and  wants  the  mone^ 

pemtelj^  ^  !*  t0  **">"  Said  Lane>  des" 
"Why  not?" 
"  Because  I  have  spent  most  of  it  " 

one  day?°"  ^  "^  ^^  fi%  d°llars  in 


The  Young  Salesman.  53 

"  Yes ;  I  bet  on  the  races." 

"  That  was  foolish.  If  you  had  lost  your 
own  money  it  would  have  served  you  right. 
But  you  had  no  business  to  squander  the  boy's 
money  in  that  way.  How  much  money  have 
you  got  left?  " 

"  I— don't  know." 

"  Out  with  your  poeketbook,  man,  and  find 
out,"  said  Wood,  impatiently. 

As  Lane  still  hesitated,  Justin  Wood  added, 
sternly :  "  Do  as  I  tell  you,  or  I  will  arrest 
you  myself  and  march  you  to  the  station 
house." 

The  young  man  looked  as  if  he  were  quite 
capable  of  carrying  out  his  threat,  and  Lane 
very  reluctantly  took  out  his  por-ketbook. 

"  I  have  twelve  dollars,"  he  said. 

"  Then  give  ten  dollars  to  the  boy,  and  keep 
two  dollars  for  yourself." 

"  It  is  all  the  money  I  have,"  whined  Lane. 

"  That  is  no  concern  of  mine.  The  money 
doesn't  belong  to  you." 

"  I  am  a  very  poor  man." 

"  You  are  smart  enough  to  make  a  living  by 
fair  means.  If  you  keep  on  as  you  are  doing 
now,  you  will  obtain  your  board  at  the  expense 
of  the  State." 

Lane,  very  unwillingly,  handed  two  five-dol- 
lar bills  to  Scott. 

"  We  are  letting  you  off  very  easy,"  said 
Justin  Wood.  "  We  will  give  you  a  chance  to 
reform,  but  if  ever  I  catch  you  trying  any  of 


54  The  Young  Salesman. 

your  tricks  elsewhere,  I  will  reveal  what  / 
know  of  you." 

Crawford  Lane  rose  from  his  chair  and  with 
a  look  of  chagrin  made  haste  to  leave  the  hotel. 
He  had  already  taken  dinner  there,  and  in- 
tended to  remain  until  the  next  day,  but  now 
he  felt  unable  to  do  so. 

"  I  am  glad  to  get  some  of  my  money  back," 
said  Scott,  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction.  "  I  was 
reduced  to  sixty  cents.  Ten  dollars  will  last 
me  for  a  good  while." 

"  Take  care  not  to  let  your  worthy  relative 
know  you  have  so  much  money,  or  he  will 
want  you  to  give  it  up  to  him." 

"  But  for  you  I  should  not  have  recovered 
it,"  said  Scott,  gratefully. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  have  been  the  means  of 
your  getting  it  back.  I  have  a  personal  grudge 
against  that  rascal." 

"  Of  how  much  did  he  rob  you?  " 

"  I  can't  tell  precisely,  for  I  am  rather  care- 
less about  my  money,  and  seldom  know  just, 
how  much  I  have.  To  the  best  of  my  knowledge 
he  must  have  taken  between  two  and  three 
hundred  dollars." 

"  That  is  a  good  deal  of  money." 

"  It  was  much  less  to  me  than  the  sum  he 
took  was  to  you.  It  did  not  especially  incon- 
venience me.  But  it  is  getting  late,  and  we  had 
better  take  the  next  boat  back  to  New  York." 

This  they  did.  On  the  same  boat,  though 
they  were  unconscious  of  it.   was  Crawford 


The  Young  Salesman.  55 

Lane.  He  saw  them,  however,  and  reflected 
bitterly  that  the  fifty  dollars  which  he  had 
taken  from  Scott  was  nearly  all  gone,  though 
it  was  only  the  second  day  since  he  got  posses- 
sion of  it. 

It  was  half-past  four  when  they  reached 
the  Gilsey  House. 

"  I  think  I  must  be  getting  back  to  my  new 
home,"  said  Scott.  "  Thank  you  very  much  for 
your  kindness  to  me." 

"  You  have  given  me  a  pleasant  day,  Scott," 
replied  the  young  man,  genially.  "  Call  and 
see  me  again  when  you  have  time." 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

When  Scott  reached  the  house  in  West 
Torty-Seventh  Street,  he  found  Loammi  al- 
ready there.  He  had  returned  from  school  at 
about  half-past  two,  and  wondered  what  had 
become  of  his  new-found  cousin. 

"  Where  have  you  been? "  he  asked,  ab- 
ruptly. 

"  First,  I  went  to  Central  Park,  and  after- 
ward I  went  to  Staten  Island." 

Loammi  looked  surprised. 

"  What  could  take  you  to  Staten  Island? 
You  seem  to  have  plenty  of  monev  to  go  about 
with." 

"  It  didn't  cost  me  anything." 

"How  is  that?" 

"  I  went  with  a  gentleman  who  lives  at  the 
Gilsey  House." 

"  What  made  him  take  you?  "  Is  he  a  friend 
of  yours?" 


56  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  friend  of  mine,  though  I  haven't 
known  him  long." 

"Is  he  rich?" 

"  He  seems  to  be." 

"  You  might  introduce  me." 

"  I  may  have  an  opportunity  to  do  so  some 
time." 

Scott  felt  obliged  to  say  this,  though  he  was 
convinced  that  Justin  Wood  would  not  care  to 
make  his  cousin's  acquaintance. 

"  Ma  told  me  you  were  not  at  home  to  lunch. 
Where  did  you  eat?  " 

"  We  dined  at  a  hotel  on  Staten  Island." 

"  Upon  my  word,  you  are  getting  to  be  quite 
a  swell  for  a  poor  boy." 

Scott  smiled. 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  have  much  chance  to 
be  a  swell,"  he  said,  "  after  I  have  begun  work 
in  the  store." 

"  No,  I  guess  not.  It  was  a  great  thing  to 
have  pa  take  you  up  and  give  you  a  home." 

"  I  hope  to  show  my  appreciation  of  it,"  said 
Scott;  but  under  the  circumstances,  his  grati- 
tude was  not  as  deep  as  if  he  had  had  a  better 
room,  and  had  not  been  obliged  to  give  up  all 
his  money  to  his  relative. 

"  How  do  you  like  your  room?  " 

"  The  bed  seems  comfortable.  Where  is  your 
room?  " 

"  On  the  second  floor.  Follow  me  and  I  will 
show  it  to  you." 

Scott  followed  his  cousin  upstairs.    Loammi 


The  Young  Salesman.  57 

opened  the  door  and  led  the  way  into  a  large 
chamber  about  eighteen  feet  square,  very  neatly 
and  comfortably  furnished. 

There  was  a  bookcase  in  one  corner  contain- 
ing over  a  hundred  volumes.  Near  it  was  an 
upright  writing-desk.  Through  an  half-open 
door  Scott  saw  a  closet  well  filled  with  suits 
of  clothes.  Certainly,  there  was  a  great  con- 
trast between  this  apartment,  with  its  comforts 
and  ample  accommodations,  and  his  own  small, 
stifling  room  on  the  floor  above.  Scott  could 
not  quite  suppress  a  feeling  of  envy. 

"  You  have  a  fine  room." 

"  Haven't  I?    My  room  is  as  nice  as  pa's." 

Alongside  of  it  was  another  room  not  as 
large,  but  perhaps  two-thirds  the  size. 

"Who  occupies  that  room?"  asked  Scott. 

"  No  one.  We  have  two  spare  rooms  on 
this  floor." 

It  naturally  occurred  to  Scott  to  wonder  why 
he  had  not  been  given  one  in  place  of  the  poor 
room  that  had  been  assigned  him. 

He  found  afterward  that  Mrs.  Little  had 
proposed  giving  him  the  room  next  to  Loammi, 
but  the  latter  had  objected,  saying  that  it  was 
too  good  for  a  penniless  boy.  In  this  he  had 
been  backed  up  by  Ezra  Little,  whose  ideas 
agreed  with  those  of  his  son. 

At  six  o'clock  the  family  assembled  for  sup- 
per. 

"  You  will  sit  down  to  meals  with  us  when 
we  are  alone,"  said  Ezra  Little.  "  When  we 
have  company  you  can  eat  in  the  kitchen." 


58  The  Young  Salesman. 

Scott  said  nothing,  but  his  face  flushed.  It 
was  evident  that  his  relatives  did  not  look  upon 
him  as  a  social  equal. 

Yet  Justin  Wood,  who,  as  Scott  suspected, 
stood  higher  socially  than  the  Little  family, 
treated  him  like  a  brother.  Though  in  no  way 
related  to  him,  Scott  felt  a  greater  regard  for 
him  than  for  any  of  the  family  with  whom  he 
had  found  a  home. 

"  To-morrow  is  Saturday,"  said  Ezra  Little, 
as  he  rose  from  the  table.  "  I  had  not  intended 
to  have  you  enter  the  store  till  Monday,  but 
there  is  a  little  extra  work  to  be  done,  and  you 
can  come  in  to-morrow."' 

"  I  should  like  to  do  so,"  said  Scott, 
promptly. 

"  So  you  like  to  work,"  said  Loammi,  with 
a  sneer. 

"  Yes;  at  any  rate,  I  like  it  better  than  being 
idle." 

"  That  is  a  very  proper  feeling,"  observed 
Ezra,  approvingly. 

"  Yes,"  put  in  Loammi.  "  You  ought  to  do 
all  you  can  to  pay  pa  for  his  kindness  to  you." 

Scott  did  not  answer,  but  he  thought  his 
young  cousin  about  the  most  disagreeable  boy 
he  had  ever  met. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BUSINESS  EXPERIENCE. 

Scott  went  with  his  uncle  to  the  store  the 
next  morning.     It  was  rather  an  humble  imi- 


The  Young  Salesman.  59 

tator  of  the  larger  stores  which  keeps  every- 
thing for  sale. 

In  any  city  but  New  York  it  would  be  con- 
sidered a  big  store,  but  it  could  not,  of  course, 
compare  with  Macy's,  Ehrich's,  Simpson  & 
Crawford's,  and  other  large  bazaars,  equally 
well  known.  It  followed  the  methods  of  these 
stores,  however,  and  generally  had  some  article 
in  which  special  bargains  were  offered. 

When  Mr.  Little  led  the  way  into  the  store, 
where  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  salesmen  were 
employed,  besides  cash  boys  and  girls,  Scott, 
who  was  not  used  to  American  shops,  thought 
it  a  very  large  one,  and  his  respect  for  Mr. 
Little  increased,  as  a  merchant  on  a  large 
scale. 

Ezra  Little,  followed  by  Scott,  walked 
through  the  store  and  paused  as  he  reached  a 
tall  man  of  about  forty,  with  pretentious  side 
whiskers. 

"  Mr.  Allen,"  he  said,  "  I  have  brought  with 
me  a  new  clerk.  His  name  is  Scott  Walton, 
and  he  is  a  distant  relative  of  mine.  I  sup- 
pose he  has  no  experience,  and  I  don't  know 
whether  he  has  any  business  capacity,  but  we 
will  try  him.  Where  can  you  make  room  for 
him?" 

"  In  the  handkerchief  department,  I  think," 
replied  the  superintendent.  "  We  have  a  drive 
in  there,  and  there  is  more  doing  in  that  de- 
partment than  usual." 

"  Yery  well,  give  him  the  necessary  instruc- 
tions." 


60  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Follow  me,  my  boy,"  said  the  superinten- 
dent. 

He  led  the  way  to  the  lower  end  of  the  store, 
where  there  was  a  large  display  of  handker- 
chiefs, at  prices  ranging  from  five  cents  up  to 
fifty. 

"  You  can  take  your  place  at  this  counter," 
said  Allen.  "  All  the  handkerchiefs  are 
marked,  so  that  you  will  have  no  trouble  about 
the  price.  Take  care  that  the  different  grades 
don't  get  mixed.  It  would  not  do,  for  instance, 
for  a  twenty-flve-cent  handkerchief  to  get 
among  the  fifteen  centers,  or  vice  versa.  Do 
you  understand?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  will  give  you  a  book,  in  which  you  will 
mark  sales.  When  you  have  made  one,  call  a 
cash  boy  and  send  the  goods  and  money  by  him 
to  the  cashier's  desk.  It  is  rather  lucky  that 
Mr.  Little  brought  you,  as  we  are  one  clerk 
short.  Mr.  Cameron  is  absent  on  account  of 
sickness." 

Scott  listened  to  these  instructions  with  in- 
terest. He  had  never  acted  as  salesman,  but 
he  felt  instinctively  that  he  had  a  taste  for  the 
work.  He  had  a  little  feeling  of  exhilaration, 
as  he  felt  he  had  been  raised  at  once  to  a  posi- 
tion of  responsibility. 

With  mind  alert  and  eyes  on  the  lookout  for 
customers,  he  began  his  work.  He  also 
watched  his  fellow  clerks  to  see  how  they  acted, 
and  copied  them  as  far  as  as  he  was  able. 


The  Young  Salesman.  61 


i& 


Two  things  helped  him.  He  had  an  agree- 
able, well-modulated  voice  and  a  very  pleasant 
face,  which  seemed  to  attract  customers.  He 
soon  found  himself  full  of  business,  and 
bustled  about  like  an  experienced  salesman. 

From  time  to  time  the  superintendent  passed 
Scott's  counter  and  glanced  approvingly  at 
the  }  oung  salesman,  who  seemed  so  busy. 

Meeting  Mr.  Little  about  noon,  he  said : 
"  That  bov  is  going  to  make  a  good  salesman." 

"  Is  he?  " 

"Yes;  I  have  watched  him  carefully,  and  I 
can  judge.    He  is  a  relation  of  yours,  you  say." 

"  Yes;  his  mother  was  my  cousin." 

"  Indeed  !    Is  he  an  American?  " 

"  No,  he  is  an  English  boy." 

"  And  you  sav  he  has  never  been  in  a  store 
before?  " 

"  Never,  so  he  says." 

"  Then  he  is  a  born  salesman." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Ezra  Little,  in- 
differently. "  He  is  penniless,  and  has  his  own 
way  to  make." 

At  twelve  o'clock  his  uncle  came  up  to  the 
counter. 

"  Here  is  some  money,"  he  said.  "  You  can 
go  out  and  buy  some  lunch.  We  can't  spare 
you  to  go  home." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

"  Mind  you  are  not  away  more  than  half  an 
hour." 

"  I  suppose  I  shan't  have  to  go  far?  " 


62  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Xo,  there  is  a  place  on  the  next  block  where 
you  can  buy  what  you  need." 

Scott  put  on  his  hat  and  left  the  store.  He 
looked  to  see  the  amount  of  his  lunch  money. 
It  was  fifteen  cents.  This  was  not  liberal,  but 
he  felt  that  he  could  make  it  do. 

He  joined  another  clerk,  who  guided  him  to 
a  small  place  where,  with  his  money,  he  was 
able  to  buy  a  cup  of  coffee,  a  sandwich  and  a 
piece  of  pie.  His  companion,  who  was  a  man 
of  twenty-five,  allowed  himself  a  larger  mar- 
gin. 

"  Are  you  a  new  hand?  "  asked  Mr.  Sturgis, 
his  fellow  clerk. 

"  Yes,  I  only  came  in  this  morning." 

"  What  are  you  in?  " 

"  Handkerchiefs." 

"  They  usually  put  beginners  in  that  de- 
partment.   How'd  you  get  the  place?  " 

"  Mr.  Little  is  a  cousin  of  my  mother." 

"  Ah,  that's  it.    Where  do  you  live?  " 

"  At  his  house." 

"  How  do  you  like  him?  " 

"  I  don't  know  him  very  well  yet" 

"  I  know  him  very  well,  for  I  have  been  here 
three  years.  There  are  not  many  who  stay 
here  so  long — that  is,  in  the  store." 

"Why  not?" 

"  If  you  wasn't  a  relative,  I'd  tell  you." 

"  I  don't  think  that  need  prevent,"  said 
Scott,  smiling. 

"  Well,  Little  has  the  reputation  of  paying 


The  Young  Salesman.  63 

very  mean  salaries.  He  is  a  very  close-fisted 
man.    How  much  does  he  pay  you?  " 

"  I  get  my  board." 

"  How  will  you  manage  for  clothes?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet." 

"  Sufficient  for  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof. 
You  look  pretty  well  now,  but  Ezra  Little  won't 
clothe  you  in  purple  and  fine  linen." 

'*  How  it  is  you  stay  so  long  if  the  salaries 
are  so  poor?  "  was  Scott's  natural  question. 

"  Well,  I  am  well  known  and  have  a  con- 
siderable trade  of  my  own.  I  was  once  junior 
partner  in  a  firm  on  Sixth  Avenue,  but  we 
failed.  By  the  way,  how  do  you  like  your 
cousin,  Loammi?" 

"  I  am  not  in  love  with  him,"  answered 
Scott,  with  a  smile. 

"  We  all  dislike  him  here.  He  sometimes 
comes  to  the  store,  and  puts  on  the  airs  of  a 
boss." 

At  six  o'clock  the  store  closed  for  the  day. 
On  Saturday  evenings  it  was  kept  open  later. 
Scott  did  not  accompany  his  uncle  home,  as 
Mr.  Little  had  a  little  business  that  detained 
him. 

It  was  about  a  mile  to  Forty-seventh  Street, 
but  Scott  did  not  object  to  walking.  It  was 
pleasant  for  him  after  spending  the  day  in- 
doors to  have  a  walk  in  the  open  air. 

We  will  pass  over  a  period  of  six  weeks. 
Scott  was  no  longer  in  the  handkerchief  de- 
partment. He  had  been  promoted  to  a  more 
important  position. 


64  The  Young  Salesman. 

He  still  liked  the  business.  The  days  passed 
quickly  for  him  when  trade  was  good.  It  was 
only  when  the  weather  was  unpleasant  and 
business  dull  that  he  found  the  time  hang 
heavy  on  his  hands. 

He  did  not  see  much  of  Loammi.  Though 
they  lived  in  the  same  house  they  were  not 
often  together,  except  at  meals. 

Usually  after  supper,  Loammi  took  a  walk, 
but  he  never  invited  Scott  to  go  with  him. 
Once  when  Scott  proposed  to  do  so,  his  cousin 
declined  the  companionship  curtly. 

"  I  have  a  special  engagement,"  he  said.  "  I 
don't  care  for  company." 

After  that  Scott,  who  had  his  share  of  pride, 
kept  to  himself.  He  saw  that  Loammi  looked 
upon  him  as  a  poor  relation. 

One  evening  when  he  returned  from  the 
store,  he  was  surprised  to  have  Loammi  meet 
him  just  outside  the  door. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  come,''  he  said. 
u  There's  an  old  frump  inside  who  says  he  is 
a  cousin  of  pa's.  He  is  old  and  shabby,  and  I 
expect  he  wants  to  live  on  pa.  It  looks  as  if 
he  would  be  overwhelmed  with  poor  rela- 
tions." 

"  I  suppose  he  is  a  cousin  of  mine,  too." 

"  Yes ;  for  Heaven's  sake,  go  in  and  keep 
him  company.     I'll  introduce  you." 

"  If  he  is  a  cousin  of  mother's,  I  shall  be  glad 
to  know  him." 

"  You  can  have  him  all  to  yourself.  Good- 
ness knows  I  never  want  to  see  him  agaia." 


The  Young  Salesman.  65 

Scott  followed  Loammi  into  the  house,  and 
into  the  reception-room. 

There  on  a  sofa  sat  a  small  old  man,  whose 
clothing,  though  scrupulously  clean,  was  worn 
and  shabby.  His  face  was  wrinkled,  but  the 
expression  was  pleasant. 

"  I  think  I  shall  like  him  better  than  Mr. 
Little,"  thought  Scott. 

The  time  was  coming  when  he  would  need  a 
friend,  and  this  old  man  was  destined  to  play 
an  important  part  in  his  future  experiences. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

SETH    LAWTON. 

"  Mr.  Lawton,"  said  Loammi,  "  this  boy  is 
Scott  Walton.  His  mother  was  a  cousin  of 
ours.  Pa  has  given  him  a  place  in  the  store, 
because  he  hasn't  any  money." 

Seth  Lawton  looked  at  Scott  eagerly. 

"  My  boy,"  he  said,  grasping  Scott's  hand, 
"your  mother  was  my  favorite  cousin.  Poor 
Lucy,  when  I  last  saw  her  she  was  just  married 
to  your  father.    Is  she — is  she  dead?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Scott.  "  She  died 
when  I  was  but  five  years  old." 

"  Poor  Lucy,  poor  girl ! "  said  the  old  man, 
sighing.    "  And  your  father?  " 

"  He  is  dead,  too.  He  died  but  a  few  weeks 
since  on  the  ship  that  brought  us  over  from 
Liverpool." 

"  And  there  were  no  other  children?  " 


66  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  No,  I  was  the  only  one." 

"  Mr.  Lawton,"  said  Loamini,  who  had  been 
listening  impatiently,  "you  must  excuse  me, 
as  I  must  go  upstairs  and  prepare  for  dinner." 

Mr.  Lawton  scarcely  noticed  Loammi's  un- 
ceremonious exit,  he  was  so  occupied  with 
Scott. 

"  So  you  are  my  cousin,  too,"  he  said  in  a 
softened  voice.  "  I  never  saw  you  before,  but 
I  know  I  shall  like  you.  You  have  a  look  like 
your  mother." 

"  I  was  thought  to  look  like  mother,"  said 
Scott. 

"  How  old  are  you?  " 

"  I  shall  be  sixteen  in  a  few  weeks." 

"  You  are  young  to  be  an  orphan.  I  judge 
from  what  your  cousin  says  that  you  were  left 
poor." 

"  Yes,  father  was  unfortunate.  He  was  so 
honest  himself  that  he  allowed  people  to  cheat 
him." 

"  There  are  too  many  such  cases.  But  I  am 
glad  that  Cousin  Ezra  has  opened  his  heart  and 
given  you  a  home." 

"  Yes,"  said  Scott,  briefly. 

He  was  not  disposed  to  be  ungrateful,  but 
it  did  not  seem  to  him  that  he  owed  a  very 
large  debt  of  gratitude  to  Mr.  Little,  who  had 
taken  all  his  money  and  merely  gave  him  his 
board  in  return  for  his  services  in  the  store. 

"  Do  you  find  your  cousin — what  is  his 
name? — a  pleasant  companion?" 


The  Young  Salesman.  67 

"  Loammi  and  I  do  not  see  much  of  each 
other,  Mr.  Lawton." 

Seth  Lawton  looked  at  Scott  shrewdly. 

"  I  am  not  surprised  to  hear  it,"  he  said. 
"  Loammi  reminds  me  of  his  father  very 
strongly." 

"  He  looks  upon  me  as  a  poor  relation,"  con- 
tinued Scott,  smiling'. 

"Do  you  mind  that  much?" 

"  A  little.    I  don't  mean  to  be  poor  always." 

"  A  wise  determination.  So  you  have  a  place 
in  the  store?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  How  do  you  like  that?  " 

"  Very  much.  I  like  business.  I  don't  have 
much  to  do  with  Mr.  Little  there,  but  the  super- 
intendent, Mr.  Allen,  is  just,  and  encourages 
me  to  do  my  best." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that.  Do  you  think 
Ezra  is  prosperous?  " 

"  I  should  think  so.  He  seems  to  be  doing 
a  good  business." 

"  Does  he  strike  you  as  a  good  manager?  " 

"  He  keeps  down  expenses.  The  clerks  say 
that  he  pays  poorer  wages  than  one  one  in  the 
trade." 

"  That  isn't  always  the  sign  of  a  good  man- 
ager," said  Seth  Lawton,  slowly.  "  Clerks 
will  always  work  better  for  a  generous  em- 
ployer. So,  on  the  whole,  Ezra  may  be  con- 
sidered well  to  do?  " 

u  Yes,  sir." 


68  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  am  always  glad  to  hear  that  iny  friends 
— and  relatives  are  prospering." 

"  You  don't  look  as  if  you  were  very  pros- 
perous yourself/'  thought  Scott.  "  I  suppose 
you,  too,  are  a  poor  relation." 

"  How  much  does  Ezra  pay  you?  " 

"  My  board." 

"  That  wouldn't  be  bad  if  you  were  a 
strangers  But  how  do  you  manage  about 
clothes?" 

"  My  father  left  me  fifty  dollars.  Mr.  Little 
took  charge  of  it,  and  I  suppose  he  will  buy  me 
clothing  out  of  it." 

"  Humph !  "  said  Seth  Lawton,  dryly.  "  He 
seems  to  put  everything  on  a  business  basis." 

Just  then  the  door  opened,  and  Ezra  Little 
entered  the  room.  He  was  prepared  to  see  Mr. 
Lawton,  Loammi  having  apprised  him  of  his 
arrival. 

He  came  forward,  eying  Mr.  Lawton 
closely. 

"  He's  as  poor  as  poverty !  "  he  said  to  him- 
self. "  He  doesn't  seem  to  have  made  much 
of  a  success. 

"  This  is  a  surprise,  Seth,"  said  he,  offering 
his  hand  coldly.  "  I  had  almost  forgotten 
you." 

"  Very  natural,  Cousin  Ezra,"  said  the  old 
man,  smiling. 

"  Where  have  you  been  all  these  years?  " 

"  I  have  been  a  wanderer,  Ezra.  I  have 
been  in  America  for  the  last  few  years.  I 
came  from  Michigan  last." 


The  Young  Salesman.  69 

"  Have  you  married?  " 

"  No;  I  am  alone." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  just  as  well.  You  have  been 
at  less  expense." 

"  True.  You,  however,  have  married,  and, 
as  I  judge,  are  prosperous." 

"  Yes,  I  have  a  good  business  on  Eighth 
Avenue,"  said  Ezra  Little,  complacently.  "  I 
haven't  been  a  rolling  stone." 

"Like  me?" 

"  Well,  yes,  like  you." 

"  And  so  you  have  gathered  some  moss." 

"  Yes;  I  think  it  a  dutv  to  succeed." 

"  If  possible." 

"  A  man  can  succeed  if  he  goes  to  work  the 
right  way,"  said  Ezra,  dogmatically. 

"  Well,  perhaps  so,"  admitted  Seth  Lawton, 
slowly. 

"How  long  have  you  been  in  New  York?" 

"  I  arrived  last  week." 

"  From  Michigan?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  you  plan  to  stay  here?  " 

"  Well,  I  have  not  quite  decided.  I  took  a 
little  while  to  get  settled,  and  then  I  looked 
you  up  in  the  directory.  But  I  have  found 
more  than  I  bargained  for.  I  did  not  know 
that  any  of  Lucy's  family  were  in  America," 
and  he  nodded  in  the  direction  of  Scott. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Ezra,  with  a  slight  frown ; 
"  Scott's  father  took  it  into  his  head  to  come 
to  America  when  he  was  in  the  last  stages  of 


70  The  Young  Salesman. 

consumption.  He  died  on  the  passage  leaving 
his  son  to  the  cold  mercies  of  the  world." 

"  And  you  kindly  took  him  into  your  home?  " 

"  Well,  I  couldn't  see  him  starve,"  said  Mr. 
Little,  ungraciously.  "  So  I  gave  him  a  place 
in  my  store." 

"  I  hope  he  is  doing  well  there." 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  is  doing  well  enough.  The 
work  is  not  hard." 

"  So  that  you  receive  some  equivalent  for 
your  kindness." 

"  Oh,  I  could  get  a  boy  to  do  the  same  work 
for  three  dollars  a  week." 

"  Well,  Ezra,  I  think  you  won't  lose  any- 
thing by  your  kindness  to  an  orphan  relative." 

"  I  will  do  what  I  can  for  him,  but  I  can't 
undertake  to  help  any  more  poor  relations." 

His  tone  was  significant,  and  Seth  under- 
stood it,  but  his  feedings  did  not  seem  to  be 
hurt. 

"  Possibly  you  were  thinking  of  me,  Ezra," 
he  said,  mildly. 

"  Are  you  a  poor  relation  ? "  asked  Ezra 
Little,  bluntly. 

"  That  is  hard  to  tell.  Ideas  of  poverty  are 
comparative.  I  have  always  supported  my- 
self, and  I  hope  I  shall  continue  to  do  so.  In  a 
great  city  like  this  I  can  surelv  find  something 
to  do." 

"  I  think  you  would  better  have  remained  in 
Michigan.     What  were  you  doing  there?  " 

"  I  kept  books  for  a  man  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness," answered  Seth. 


The  Young  Salesman.  71 

"  You  couldn't  get  a  chance  to  keep  books 
here.  Your  age  would  be  against  you,  for  one 
thing." 

"  I  am  only  fifty-six,  Ezra." 

"  That  is  old  when  you  are  seeking  a  posi- 
tion. I  hope  you  have  some  money  to  fall  back 
upon." 

"  I  have  a  little,  and  then  I  was  always 
able  to  live  frugally." 

"  That  is  wise.  You  might,  perhaps,  expect 
that  I  would  give  you  a  place  in  my  store,  but 
you  would  not  do  for  the  dry-goods  business." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should,"  said  the  old  man, 
candidly.  "  I  have  never  been  accustomed  to 
very  close  confinement." 

"  Pa,  supper's  ready !  "  announced  Loammi, 
opening  the  door. 

"  Will  you  walk  out  and  take  supper  with 
us,  Seth?" 

"  Thank  you,  Ezra.  It  will  be  pleasant  to 
sit  down  with  relations.  It  is  many  years 
since  I  have  done  so." 

Seth  Lawton  was  introduced  to  Mrs.  Little, 
who  greeted  him  kindly,  though,  like  her  hus- 
band and  son,  she  looked  upon  him  as  a  poor 
relation.  She  had  a  better  disposition  than 
they,  and  was  not  so  worldly  minded. 

Seth  Lawton  was  seated  next  to  Scott  on 
one  side  of  the  table.     Opposite  sat  Loammi. 

"  Put  the  two  poor  relations  together,  ma," 
he  had  said  to  his  mother,  beforehand.  "  Pa'll 
have  his  hands  full  if  any  more  come  to  the 
city." 


72  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  They  are  not  to  blame  for  their  poverty," 
returned  Mrs.  Little. 

"  I  should  hate  to  be  poor/'  said  Loammi, 
emphatically. 

"  Your  father  and  I  were  poor  once." 

"  But  you  got  bravely  over  it.  That's  be- 
cause pa  was  smart.  This  old  man — Seth 
Lawton — looks  as  if  he  wasn't  worth  a  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  he  must  be  ten  years  older 
than  pa." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SCOTT  CALLS  ON  HIS  POOR  RELATION. 

Ezra  Little  asked  a  good  many  questions 
of  his  new-found  relative,  but  Seth  Lawton's 
answers  were  vague. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  ever  came  to  New 
York,"  said  his  host. 

"  I  feel  repaid  already,"  replied  Seth.  "  It 
does  me  good  to  see  my  relations.  I  am  glad 
especially  to  find  you  doing  so  well." 

"  I  wish  I  could  return  the  compliment," 
said  Ezra,  pointedly. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  complain,"  responded  Mr. 
Lawton. 

"  Don't  you  ever  consider  what  would  be- 
come of  you  if  you  should  get  sick?  " 

"  I  am  in  pretty  fair  health,  thank  you,  Ezra. 
I  am  not  likely  to  injure  my  health  with  rich 
living." 

Loammi  indulged  in  a  boisterous  laugh. 
He  evidently  thought  this  a  good  joke. 


The  Young  Salesman.  73 

Seth  Lawton  eyed  his  young  relative  with  a 
glance  of  curiosity.  Scott  flushed,  for  he  felt 
that  Loamnii  was  disrespectful. 

"  Loammi  thinks  it  a  joke  to  be  poor,"  he 
said  to  himself. 

When  they  rose  from  the  table,  Ezra  Little 
said :  "  You  will  have  to  excuse  me,  Seth. 
There  is  a  meeting  this  evening  of  some  bank 
directors,  and,  as  I  am  one  of  them,  I  ought  to 
attend." 

"  Oh,  don't  mind  me,  Ezra.  I  can  call 
again." 

"  Of  course  we  expect  you  to  do  so,"  said  his 
wealthy  relative,  but  there  was  no  cordiality  in 
his  tone. 

"  Perhaps  the  boys  will  take  a  walk  with 
me,"  suggested  Seth.  "  I  shall  be  glad  to  have 
them  call  at  my  room." 

"  Where  is  your  room?  "  asked  Loammi. 

"  In  West  Sixteenth  Street." 

"  I  have  an  engagement,"  said  Loammi, 
brusquely. 

"How  is  it  with  you?"  asked  Mr.  Lawton, 
turning  to  Scott. 

"  I  shall  be  happy  to  go  with  you,  Cousin 
Seth,"  answered  Scott,  pleasantly. 

Seth  Lawton  looked  pleased. 

Mr.  Little  had  gone  off  in  a  hurry,  followed 
by  Loammi.  Mr.  Lawton  and  Scott  remained 
a  short  time  in  conversation  with  Mrs.  Little; 
then  they,  too,  went  out. 

"  I  invited  your  cousin  out  of  politeness," 


74  The  Young  Salesman. 

said  Mr.  Lawton,  "  but  I  am  quite  as  well 
pleased  to  have  you  alone.  I  don't  think 
Loammi  will  ever  care  much  for  me." 

"  He  doesn't  like  poor  relations,"  observed 
Scott.     "  He  takes  very  little  notice  of  me." 

Seth  Lawton  smiled. 

"  Then  if  I  were  rich  you  think  Loammi 
would  be  more  polite?" 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"  I  am  afraid  it  can't  be  helped  then.  I  am 
too  old  to  start  in  to  make  a  fortune;  but  you 
are  young.     You  may  be  a  rich  man  in  time." 

"  It  doesn't  look  much  like  it  now." 

"  Most  of  the  rich  men  in  New  York  and 
other  American  cities  were  once  poor  boys." 

"  I  don't  think  my  chances  will  be  very  good 
while  I  work  for  Mr.  Little.  I  hope  you  will 
remain  in  New  York." 

"  That  will  depend  on  circumstances.  As 
Ezra  Little  said,  a  man  of  my  age  doesn't  stand 
a  good  chance  to  get  a  position." 

"  I  think  you  said  you  kept  books  in  the 
West?" 

"  Yes,  a  part  of  the  time." 

"  Shall  vou  try  to  get  a  bookkeeper's  place 
here?  " 

"  I  have  not  decided.  I  think  I  must  call 
at  Ezra's  store  to-morrow.  I  have  some 
curiosity  to  see  it." 

"  I  wish  it  were  your  store  instead  of  his." 

"  He  would  not  join  you  in  the  wish.  Be- 
sides, I  don't  think  I  should  care  to  be  in  the 


The  Young  Salesman.  75 

dry-goods  business.  I  suppose  you  mean  that 
you  would  rather  work  for  me  than  for  him?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Thank  you  for  the  compliment,  Scott.  It 
doesn't  look  likely  at  present  that  I  shall  ever 
be  your  employer.  I  hope,  however,  that  our 
friendship  will  continue  and  become  more  in- 
timate." 

They  had  walked  to  Broadway,  and  saun- 
tered slowly  down  that  brilliant  thoroughfare. 
As  they  were  passing  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel 
a  fine-looking  man,  who  had  just  left  it,  espied 
Scott's  companion. 

"  How  are  you,  Mr.  Lawton?  "  he  said,  cor- 
dially, offering  his  hand. 

"  Very  well,  thank  you,  Mr.  Mitchell." 

"  I  didn't  expect  to  see  you  here." 

"  I  haven't  been  here  for  a  good  many  years, 
but  I  took  a  fancy  to  make  a  brief  visit,  and 
see  how  the  city  has  changed.  I  suppose  you 
are  here  on  particular  business?  " 

"  Well,  perhaps  so,"  laughed  the  other.  "  I 
am  staying  at  this  hotel.  Call  if  you  have 
time.  I  shall  be  here  three  days.  That  is  not 
your  son?  " 

"  No ;  I  am  not  married.  It  is  a  young 
cousin,  Scott  Walton." 

"  I  am  glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,  my 
boy,"  said  Mr.  Mitchell,  pleasantly. 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

Here  the  conference  ended. 

"  That    is    a    member    of    Congress    from 


76  The  Young  Salesman. 

Michigan/'  explained  Seth  Lawton,  in  response 
to  a  look  of  inquiry.  "  I  suppose  he  has  run 
on  from  Washington  for  a  few  days." 

"  Is  he  a  smart  man?  " 

"  Yes,  he  may  be  governor  some  time.  He 
is  a  rising  man." 

Scott  was  somewhat  surprised  to  find  that 
his  poor  relation  had  such  a  prominent  ac- 
quaintance; it  seemed  to  indicate  that  even  if 
he  were  poor  and  dressed  shabbily,  he  held  a 
good  social  position  in  his  western  home. 

At  length  they  reached  West  Sixteenth 
Street,  and  stopped  at  a  plain  three-story 
house.  Mr.  Lawton  took  out  a  night  key  and 
led  the  way  inside  and  upstairs. 

He  occupied  a  front  room  on  the  second 
floor.  It  was  of  good  size  and  well,  though 
plainly,  furnished. 

Scott  was  agreeably  surprised.  He  thought 
his  cousin  would  probably  occupy  a  small  hall 
bedroom,  for  he  had  been  long  enough  in  New 
York  to  know  that  lodgings  were  expensive. 
Everything  looked  comfortable.  There  was  a 
lounge  in  one  corner  with  the  head  toward  the 
window. 

"  I  lie  down  here  when  I  feel  lazy,"  said  Mr. 
Lawton. 

"  Do  you  board  here  also,  Cousin  Seth?  " 

"  Partially.  I  breakfast  in  the  house,  but  it 
is  more  convenient  to  take  my  other  meals 
outside." 

Mr.  Lawton's  trunk  was  on  one  side  of  the 


The  Young  Salesman.  77 

fireplace.  It  was  a  substantial-looking  trunk, 
somewhat  the  worse  for  wear. 

"  I  have  in  my  trunk,  somewhere,"  he  said, 
"  a  picture  of  }rour  mother,  taken  at  the  age  of 
twenty.     Would  you  like  to  see  it?  " 

"  Very  much,"  answered  Scott,  eagerly.  "  I 
have  one  taken  a  few  months  before  she  died, 
but  she  was  in  ill  health  then." 

Seth  Lawton  opened  the  trunk  and  soon 
found  a  small  photograph  album.  The  second 
picture  represented  the  attractive  face  of  a 
young  woman  of  twenty. 

"  Do  you  recognize  it?  "  asked  Seth. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Scott,  the  tears  coming  to 
his  eyes.     "  I  wish  I  had  one  like  it." 

"  I  will  have  it  copied,  and  you  shall  have 
one  of  the  copies." 

"  I  don't  like  to  put  you  to  expense,  Cousin 
Seth." 

"  The  expense  will  be  small.  In  return, 
you  must  show  me  the  later  picture  of  your 
mother.     She  was  my  favorite  cousin." 

"  I  will  be  glad  to  do  so.  You  have  a  very 
comfortable  room." 

"  Yes.  I  hope  you  have  a  good  room  at 
Mr.  Little's." 

Scott  shook  his  head. 

"  I  don't  want  to  complain,  but  I  should 
like  it  better  if  there  were  a  window  in  it." 

"  No  window?  "  repeated  Seth,  puzzled. 

"  No.  It  is  an  inside  room  on  the  third 
floor." 


78  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Small,  I  suppose?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  don't  think  it  is  more  than  eight  feet 
by  ten." 

"  It  must  be  close." 

"  It  is.     Still,  the  bed  is  comfortable." 

"  What  sort  of  a  room  does  your  cousin 
Loammi  have?" 

"  A  fine  room  on  the  second  floor,  large  and 
handsomely  furnished." 

"  Is  there  no  larger  and  better  room  which 
you  could  occupy?  " 

"  Yes,  there  are  two,  but  they  consider  my 
little  room  good  enough  for  me." 

Seth  Lawton  looked  thoughtful. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  are  not  more  comfortably 
accommodated,"  he  said.  "  There  may  be 
better  things  in  store  for  you,  however.  By 
the  way,  I  see  your  trousers  are  frayed  about 
the  bottoms." 

"  Yes ;  they  are  getting  shabby." 

"  You  ought  to  have  a  new  pair." 

"Yes;  but  I  don't  like  to  speak  to  Mr. 
Little." 

"  You  need  feel  no  hesitation.  He  has  fifty 
dollars  of  yours,  you  told  me." 

"  Forty  dollars." 

"  Enough,  at  any  rate,  to  provide  you  with 
new  clothes.  Your  coat  is  beginning  to  show 
signs  of  wear." 

"  Yes ;  I  am  as  careful  of  it  as  possible,  but 
it  will  wear." 

"  Take  my  advice  and  ask  Mr.  Little  at  once 
to  give  you  some  new  clothes." 


The  Young  Salesman.  79 

"  I  will  if  you  advise  it." 

"I  do;  and  let  me  know  how  your  applica- 
tion is  received.  This  is  Tuesday.  Call  on 
me  again  Thursday  evening  if  you  can." 

"  I  will,  Cousin  Seth." 

The  rest  of  the  evening  was  spent  in  talking 
of  old  times  and  scenes.  Scott  was  much  in- 
terested in  what  Mr.  Lawton  told  him  of  his 
mother's  early  days.  When  he  left  the  house 
Seth  Lawton  accompanied  him  as  far  as  the 
Fifth  Avenue  Hotel. 

"  I  will  go  in  and  see  if  Mr.  Mitchel  is  in," 
he  said.     "  Good-night,  Scott." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  SECOND-HAND  SUIT. 

When  Scott  reached  home  he  found  Loammi 
still  up. 

"Did  you  go  to  Mr.  Lawton's  room?"  the 
latter  asked. 

"  Yes." 

"  What  sort  of  a  place  does  he  live  in — a 
tenement  house?  " 

"  No ;  he  has  a  very  good  room  in  West 
Sixteenth  Street." 

"  He  will  soon  be  out  of  money  if  he  lives 
expensively." 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  " 

"  Because  he  is  evidently  poor.  Didn't  you 
notice  his  clothes?  " 

"  Yes,  but  I  don't  think  he  cares  much  about 
dress.  " 


80  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  guess  you're  right  there.  Pa  thinks  he 
was  a  fool  to  come  to  New  York.  If  he  ex- 
pects to  fall  back  on  pa  when  he  has  spent  all 
his  money,  he'll  be  disappointed." 

"  I  don't  think  he  has  any  such  expectation. 
He  seems  like  an  independent  man.  He  fell 
in  with  an  acquaintance  from  Michigan  who  is 
staying  at  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel." 

Loammi  looked  surprised. 

"  Who  was  it?  "  he  asked. 

"  Quite  a  nice-looking  man.  He  is  a  member 
of  Congress." 

"  Then  how  does  he  happen  to  be  in  New 
York?"  asked  Loammi,  incredulously. 

"  He  is  here  on  a  little  business.  He  goes 
back  to  Washington  in  two  or  three  days." 

"  Did  Mr.  Lawton  seem  to  know  him  well?  " 

"  Yes ;  the  congressman  was  very  cordial." 

"  Politicians  have  to  know  everybody,"  re- 
marked Loammi,  after  a  pause.  He  found  it 
difficult  to  conceive  of  "  Cousin  Seth  "  having 
any  high-toned  friends. 

Scott  took  his  lamp  and  went  to  bed.  In  his 
small  chamber  there  was  no  gas  jet,  but  this 
he  did  not  mind.  In  England  gas  is  not  used 
as  extensively  as  in  the  United  States,  and  he 
was  more  accustomed  to  lamps  or  candles. 

As  he  slowly  undressed,  he  felt  more  cheer- 
ful than  usual.  It  seemed  pleasant  to  have 
found  a  relative  who  appeared  to  like  him. 
He  could  not  feel  toward  Ezra  Little  or 
Loammi  as  if  they  were  relations. 


The  Young  Salesman.  81 

"  I  am  very  sorry  Cousin  Seth  is  not  better 
off,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  If  he  can't  get  a 
place  in  the  city,  I  suppose  he  will  have  to  go 
back  to  the  West.  I  hope  not,  for  I  shall  miss 
him." 

The  next  day  Seth  Lawton  came  to  the 
Eighth  Avenue  store,  and  found  his  way  to  the 
department  where  Scott  was  a  salesman. 

"  What  are  you  selling,  Scott?  "  he  asked, 
with  a  smile. 

"  Socks,  Cousin  Seth." 

"  I  think  I  shall  have  to  buy  some,  just  to 
say  that  I  have  bought  from  you.  What  do 
you  charge?  " 

"  Here  are  some  merino  socks  that  we  spII 
three  pairs  for  a  dollar." 

"  Pick  me  out  three— No.  9y2." 

Scott  did  so,  and  Mr.  Lawton  handed  him  a 
five-dollar  gold  piece. 

A  cash  boy  was  called,  the  goods  and  money 
were  handed  to  him,  and  in  due  time  the 
bundle  and  change  were  brought  back. 

Just  then  Mr.  Little,  who  had  been  out  to 
lunch,  came  back,  and  passing  by  the  sock' 
counter  recognized  Mr.  Lawton. 

"  Good-morning,  Ezra,"  said  Seth.  "  You 
have  a  fine  store." 

u  Quite  fair,  but  not  so  large  as  some,"  re- 
turned Ezra  Little.  "  I  am  cramped  for 
room.  I  think  of  taking  in  the  adjoining  store 
next  year." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  getting  rich." 


82  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Not  so  fast  as  I  should  like.  Expenses  are 
very  large.  How  would  you  like  to  run  a  store 
like  this,  Cousin  Seth?"  he  added,  in  a  com- 
plaisant tone. 

"  Not  very  well.  I  might  like  to  own  it,  but 
I  don't  think  dry  goods  are  in  my  line." 

"  I  fancy  not,"  said  Ezra,  in  a  tone  of  calm 
superiority.  "  It  takes  some  business  ability 
to  run  a  large  store." 

"  No  doubt  you  have  the  necessary  ability," 
observed  Seth,  with  a  smile. 

"  Well,  I  manage  to  do  it." 

"  I  hope  Scott  will  be  as  successful  as  you 
have  been." 

"  It  isn't  every  one  who  works  in  a  dry-goods 
store  who  rises  beyond  a  salesman,"  returned 
Ezra  Little,  with  a  cold  glance  at  Scott. 

As  the  proprietor  of  the  store  passed  on  to 
his  office,  Seth  Lawton  said :  "  Have  you  been 
out  to  lunch,  Scott?" 

"  Yes,  Cousin  Seth." 

"  I  am  sorry.  I  would  have  invited  you  to 
lunch  with  me." 

"  Thank  you.  Perhaps  I  can  go  some  other 
day." 

"  Good-afternoon,  then.  Remember  to- 
morrow evening." 

"  I  won't  forget." 

On  the  way  home  from  the  store,  Scott  took 
the  opportunity  to  speak  of  a  new  suit. 

"  Mr.  Little,"  he  said,  "  I  am  afraid  I  shall 
have  to  ask  vou  for  some  new  clothes." 


The  Young  Salesman.  83 

"What's  the  matter  with  those  you  are 
wearing?  "  asked  Ezra  Little,  coldly. 

"  The  trousers  are  frayed  around  the  bot- 
toms, and  the  coat  is  getting  faded." 

"  You  seem  to  have  high  notions  for  a  poor 
boy/'  continued  his  employer,  in  a  tone  of  dis- 
pleasure. 

"  I  like  to  look  neat,"  Scott  answered,  with 
spirit. 

"  You  are  as  well  dressed  as  most  of  the  boys 
who  work  in  the  store." 

"  They  are  cash  boys,  while  I  am  behind  the 
counter.  Besides,  I  don't  ask  you  to  pay  out 
of  your  own  pocket." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  will  have  to  do  if  I 
comply  with  your  request." 

"  You  have  forty  dollars  of  mine,  Mr.  Little; 
the  money  I  handed  you  when  I  went  into  the 
store." 

"  You  seem  to  forget  that  this  is  to  pay  the 
difference  between  what  you  receive — a  home 
— and  what  you  would  get  in  any  other  store 
like  mine." 

"  Don't  you  think  I  earn  my  board?  "  asked 
Scott,  mortified. 

"  No,  of  course  not.  Did  Mr.  Lawton  put 
you  up  to  asking  for  new  clothes?  " 

"  He  said  he  thought  I  needed  some  new 
ones." 

"  Just  as  I  thought.  It  won't  be  long,  prob- 
ably, before  he  wants  you  to  borrow  money  on 
his  account." 


84  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  don't  think  he  will  ask  for  any." 

"  You  seem  to  know  him  well.  On  what  do 
you  base  this  opinion?" 

"  He  seems  to  be  too  independent." 

"  In  feeling,  yes ;  but  I  don't  think  he  has 
independent  means." 

"  Then  you  are  not  willing  to  buv  me  new 
clothes,  Mr.  Little?  " 

"  I  will  think  it  over,  and  let  you  know  what 
I  decide." 

It  was  a  trial  to  Scott  to  prefer  his  request, 
though  it  seemed  to  him  necessary.  Though 
his  father  had  been  poor,  he  had  always  been 
neatly  dressed,  and  in  a  store  he  was  subject 
to  an  unusual  amount  of  scrutiny.  He  felt 
that  his  own  money  ought  to  be  expended  for 
what  he  needed. 

Then,  as  to  not  earning  his  board,  he  knew 
that  no  salesman  who  sold  as  much  as  he  did 
received  less  than  eight  dollars  a  week.  It 
certainly  did  seem  mean  in  Ezra  Little  to  pay 
him  less  than  his  board. 

What  he  should  do  if  his  application  was 
denied  he  did  not  know.  To  be  sure,  he  had 
enough  left  of  the  ten  dollars  he  had  recovered 
from  Crawford  Lane  to  buy  a  pair  of  trousers, 
but  a  new  coat  would  be  beyond  his  means. 

During  supper  no  reference  was  made  to  the 
subject,  but  as  they  were  rising  from  the  table, 
Mr.  Little  turned  to  his  son  and  said :  "  How 
do  you  compare  in  size  with  Scott?" 

"  We  are  of  about  the  same  size." 


The  Young  Salesman.  85 

In  reality,  Scott  was  two  inches  taller  than 
his  cousin,  and  probably  as  much  larger  in 
chest  measure. 

"  So  I  thought,"  returned  Mr.  Little. 
"  Scott  thinks  he  needs  some  new  clothes. 
Look  over  your  suits,  and  see  if  you  haven't 
one  you  can  give  him." 

"Why  should  I  give  him  my  clothes,  pa?" 

"  I  will  make  it  up  to  you." 

"  All  right !     Will  you  buy  me  a  new  suit?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Very  well,  then,  I'm  willing." 

"  You  can  go  upstairs  with  Loammi,"  said 
Mr.  Little,  "  and  he  will  pick  you  out  a  suit 
that  he  has  laid  aside." 

Scott  flushed  indignantly.  He  was  not 
without  pride,  and  it  galled  him  to  have  his 
cousin's  clothes  turned  over  to  him. 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Little,"  he  said,  "  but  I 
am  taller  and  stouter  than  Loammi.  I  could 
not  wear  any  of  his  cast-off  suits." 

"  You  mean  you  are  too  proud  to  do  so,"  said 
Ezra  Little,  sharply. 

"  Perhaps  I  am,  but  at  any  rate  they  would 
not  be  large  enough  for  me." 

"  That  is  an  excuse." 

"  I  will  try  on  a  suit,  and  let  you  see." 

"  Do  so." 

Scott  went  upstairs  with  his  cousin,  and  put 
on  a  suit  selected  for  him  by  Loammi,  the 
poorest  he  had,  and  came  downstairs. 

The  trousers  were  nearly  two  inches  too 


86  The  Young  Salesman. 

short,  and  the  coat  was  evidently  too  narrow 
across  the  shoulder. 

"  It  seems  to  fit  very  well,"  said  Ezra. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Little,"  exclaimed  his  wife,  "  it 
doesn't  fit  Scott  at  all." 

"  Then  we  will  send  it  to  a  tailor  and  have  it 
altered,"  said  her  husband. 

Scott  made  no  comment,  but  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  he  would  get  along  with  his  old  suit 
rather  than  wear  his  cousin's. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  CASH  BOY'S  TROUBLES. 

The  next  day  Mr.  Little  asked :  "  Did  you 
take  that  suit  to  my  tailor  for  alterations, 
Scott?" 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Scott,  coloring,  "  but 
I  think  I  will  get  along  for  the  present  with  the 
suit  I  am  wearing." 

"What  does  that  mean?"  demanded  Ezra 
Little,  quickly. 

"  I  don't  care  to  wear  Loamnii's  clothes." 

"  Oh,  you  are  proud,  are  you?  "  sneered  Mr. 
Little. 

"  If  it  were  necessary  I  would  do  so,  but  I 
think  I  am  entitled  to  a  new  suit." 

"  On  what  do  you  base  your  claim?  " 

"  On  the  money  which  I  handed  you,  Mr. 
Little,"  replied  Scott. 

"  We  will  not  discuss  this  question,"  said 
Ezra  Little,  coldly.     "  I  have  already  told  you 


The  Young  Salesman.  87 

that  this  money  will  be  needed  to  pay  your 
expenses." 

Scott  did  not  reply. 

"  Well,  what  have  you  to  say  to  that?  " 

"  Nothing,  sir." 

"  You  have  no  just  cause  of  complaint.  I 
have  offered  you  a  suit  which,  when  altered, 
would  be  almost  as  good  as  new.  If  you 
change  your  mind  about  accepting  it,  you  may 
let  me  know." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

On  Thursday  evening  Scott  made  a  call  at 
Seth  Lawton's  boarding  house. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Scott,"  said  Mr. 
Lawton,  cordially.     "  But  you  look  sober." 

"  I  feel  so,  Cousin  Seth." 

"  Why  is  that?  Anything  unpleasant  hap- 
pened?" 

"  I  applied  to  Mr.  Little  for  a  new  suit.  He 
declined  to  buy  me  one,  but  said  I  could  have 
an  old  suit  of  Loammi's  altered  over  for  me." 

"  Didn't  you  mention  the  money  you  had 
placed  in  his  hands?  " 

"  Yes,  but  he  said  I  was  not  earning  my 
board,  and  this  would  make  up  the  deficit." 

Seth  Lawton  rose  from  his  chair  and  paced 
the  room.  It  was  his  habit  to  do  so  when  he 
was  disturbed 

"  I  didn't  think  Ezra  Little  would  be  so 
mean,  though  I  knew  he  was  far  from  liberal. 
What  did  you  say  to  his  proposal?" 

"  I  declined  it.     Loammi  is  not  as  large  as  I 


88  The  Young  Salesman. 

am,  and,  besides,  I  didn't  feel  like  wearing  his 
second-hand  clothes  when  Mr.  Little  had 
money  of  mine  in  his  possession." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  his  claim  that  your 
services  do  not  pay  for  your  board?" 

"  Judging  from  what  I  have  found  out  about 
the  pay  of  other  salesman,  I  think  that  I  earn 
more  than  my  board." 

"  I  think  so,  too.  So  you  are  to  have  no  new 
suit?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  be  luckier  than  you  im- 
agine. You  must  remember  that  I  am  your 
relative  as  well  as  Ezra  Little.  I  will  buy  you 
a  suit." 

"  But,  Cousin  Seth,  I  don't  want  to  put  you 
to  that  expense.  You  will  need  all  your 
money  yourself." 

Seth  Lawton  smiled. 

"  I  will  promise  not  to  put  myself  to  any 
inconvenience,"  he  said.  "  Will  that  satisfy 
vou?  Will  you  now  refuse  a  favor  at  my 
hands?" 

"  I  would  rather  receive  a  favor  from  you 
than  from  Mr.  Little,  if  you  really  feel  that  you 
can  afford  it." 

"  You  need  not  be  apprehensive  on  that 
score.     At  what  time  do  you  go  out  to  lunch?  " 

"  At  twelve  o'clock." 

"  I  will  call  at  that  time  to-morrow,  and  we 
will  manage  to  get  time  to  stop  at  a  tailor's 
and  leave  your  measure." 


The  Young  Salesman.  89 

"  But,  Cousin  Seth,  a  ready-made  suit  will 
answer." 

"  As  this  is  the  first  present  I  have  given 
you,  I  will  make  it  a  good  one.  Probably  we 
can  find  a  tailor  near  your  store." 

"Yes;  Mr.  Little's  tailor  has  a  shop  only 
three  blocks  away.     Here  is  his  card." 

"  The  very  thing." 

When  the  suit  was  finished  Scott  put  it  on 
at  once,  and  left  his  old  one  to  be  cleaned  and 
repaired. 

It  was  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  it  would 
escape  the  observation  of  Loammi  and  his 
father.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  handsomer 
than  any  his  cousin  wore. 

"Where  did  you  get  that  suit?"  asked 
Loammi,  in  amazement. 

"  It  was  a  present,"  answered  Scott. 

"  From  whom?  " 

"  Cousin  Seth." 

Loammi  was  not  slow  in  carrying  the  news 
to  his  father. 

"  Pa,"  he  said,  "  see  the  new  suit  Mr.  Lawton 
has  given  Scott." 

Mr.  Little  put  on  his  glasses  and  closely 
examined  his  young  relative. 

"  Did  you  ask  Mr.  Lawton  to  buy  you  a 
suit?"  he  asked,  abruptly. 

"  No,  sir.  I  did  not  wish  him  to  go  to  such 
an  expene." 

"  It  must  have  cost  at  least  twenty-five  dol- 
lars." 


90  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  think  it  cost  twenty-eight." 

"  Seth  is  a  fool.  He  is  probably  poor,  and 
could  not  afford  such  an  extravagent  outlay." 

"  He  told  me  he  could  afford  it,  and  I  had 
to  take  his  word." 

"  It  is  better  than  my  best  suit,  pa,"  com- 
plained Loammi. 

"  You  shall  have  as  good  a  one  when  you 
need  it.  It  is  only  three  weeks  since  I  bought 
you  a  suit." 

"  Was  it  a  ready-made  suit?  "  asked  Loammi 
of  Scott. 

"  No;  it  was  made  to  order  by  the  tailor  your 
father  mentioned  to  me." 

"  You  will  soon  get  it  shabby  wearing  it 
every  day." 

"  I  don't  intend  to  do  so.  I  left  my  old  suit 
to  be  cleaned  and  repaired." 

"  Well,  you  are  provided  for,  for  the  pres- 
ent, thanks  to  Seth  Lawton's  folly.  I  don't 
wonder  he  is  poor  if  that  is  the  way  he  man- 
ages.    Do  you  know  if  he  has  got  work  yet?  " 

"  He  told  me  part  of  his  time  was  occupied." 

"  I  suppose  he  has  got  a  little  job  to  do  at 
bookkeeping.  Possibly  it  will  pay  him  twenty- 
five  dolars.  On  the  strength  of  that  he  has 
bought  you  a  suit  at  twenty-eight  dollars. 
Seth  always  was  a  fool.  When  he  finds  him- 
self in  need,  it  won't  do  him  any  good  to  apply 
to  me." 

It  was  clear  that  Mr.  Lawton  had  not  raised 


The  Young  Salesman.  91 

himself  in  the  estimation  of  his  rich  relatives 
by  his  kindness  to  Scott. 

Among  the  cash  boys  who  worked  in  the 
store  was  a  pleasant-faced  boy,  named  William 
Mead.  He  was  two  years  younger  than  Scott, 
but  the  latter  had  taken  special  notice  of  him, 
and  without  knowing  much  of  him,  had  come 
to  feel  an  interest  in  him. 

Usually  Willie,  as  he  was  called,  was  bright 
and  cheerful,  but  one  day  he  appeared  with  a 
sad  countenance. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Willie?  "  asked  Scott, 
when  the  two  boys  went  out  together  at  the 
noon  hour. 

Scott  bought  his  lunch  at  a  neighboring 
restaurant,  but  the  cash  boy  brought  his  with 
him  from  home. 

"  I  don't  like  to  annoy  you  with  my  troubles," 
answered  Willie. 

"  But  they  won't  annoy  me.  Please  think 
of  me  as  a  friend." 

"  Then  I  will  tell  you.  I  have  a  brother 
three  years  older  than  I  am,  who  earns  six 
dollars  a  week.  He  has  been  sick  for  two 
weeks,  and  my  mother  misses  his  wages.  You 
know  I  only  get  two  dollars  and  a  half  a 
week.'" 

"  That  is  very  small." 

"  Some  of  the  stores  pay  more,  but  Mr. 
Little  never  pays  more  than  that  to  a  cash 
boy.  Next  week  our  rent  comes  due,  and  as 
we  have  a  strict  landlord,  I  am  afraid  he  will 


92  The  Young  Salesman. 

put  us  out  when  he  finds  mother  is  not  ready 
with  the  rent." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  you,  Willie/'  said  Scott,  in 
a  tone  of  sympathy.  "  Have  you  no  friend  you 
can  call  upon  for  a  loan?  " 

"  Our  friends  are  as  poor  as  ourselves." 

"  When  does  your  rent  come  due?  " 

"  Next  Saturday." 

"  I  will  think  whether  I  can  do  anything  for 
you.     I  will  see  you  again  to-morrow." 

"  But  you  are  poor  yourself.  Mr.  Little's 
son  was  at  the  store  one  day,  and  I  overheard 
him  telling  one  of  the  salesman  that  you  were 
a  poor  relation." 

"  He  is  not  likely  to  let  me  forget  that.  I 
am  not  sure  that  I  can  do  anything  for  vou, 
Willie,  but  if  I  can  I  will." 

"  You  have  already  done  me  good  by  speak- 
ing kindly  to  me." 

"  Come  in  to  lunch  with  me,  Willie.  A  cup 
of  coffee  will  do  you  good." 

That  evening  Scott  had  arranged  to  call  on 
Mr.  Lawton.  He  decided  to  tell  him  of  the 
young  cash  boy's  troubles.  Seth  Lawton's 
face  showed  his  sympathy. 

"  It  is  really  a  hard  case,"  he  said.  "  We 
must  see  if  we  can't  do  something  for  your 
friend." 

"  I  hope  you  don't  think  I  was  hinting  this 
to  you,  Cousin  Seth." 

"  I  don't,  but  still  you  won't  object  to  my 
doing  something  for  the  boy." 


The  Young  Salesman.  93 

"  Mr.  Little  says  you  are  foolishly  generous, 
and  this  is  why  you  keep  poor." 

"  He  will  never  make  himself  poor  by  his 
generosity.  If  you  have  the  boy's  address 
we  will  call  upon  him." 


CAPTER  XIV. 

A  HELPING  HAND. 

The  cash  boy  and  his  mother  lived  in  a  west- 
side  tenement  house. 

Just  in  front  of  the  house,  Scott  met  Willie 
Mead  with  a  loaf  of  bread  which  he  was  bring- 
ing home  from  a  neighboring  bakery.  His 
eye  lighted  up  with  pleasure  when  he  saw 
Scott. 

"  Do  you  live  here,  Willie?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  Yes,  we  live  on  the  fourth  floor." 

"  I  have  brought  a  gentleman  with  me  who 
may  be  able  to  help  your  mother.  We  will 
follow  you  upstairs." 

"  You  may  not  like  to  climb  so  high,  sir," 
said  the  cash  boy,  burning  to  Mr.  Lawton. 

"  I  think  I  can  stand  it  for  once,"  rejoined 
Seth  Lawton.  "  I  am  a  little  more  scant  of 
breath  than  when  I  was  a  young  man,  but  I 
am  still  good  for  a  climb." 

Willie  started  ahead,  and  the  two  visitors 
followed  him. 

"  We  will  stop  here  on  the  landing  till  yon 


94  The  Young  Salesman. 

have  told  your  mother  she  is  to  have  visitors," 
said  Seth,  considerately. 

The  boy  opened  a  door  and  entered  a  rear 
room.  He  reappeared  in  a  short  time,  and 
said :  "  Come  in,  please." 

The  room  was  neat,  but  the  scanty  and  well- 
worn  furniture  showed  evidences  of  dire 
poverty. 

Mrs.  Mead,  a  woman  of  forty,  though  poorly 
dressed,  had  a  look  of  refinement,  though  her 
face  was  sad  and  anxious. 

As  she  watched  the  entrance  of  the  visitors 
her  eyes  seemed  riveted  upon  Seth  Lawton. 
She  took  a  step  forward. 

"  Surely,"  she  said,  "  I  cannot  be  deceived. 
This  is  Seth  Lawton." 

"  You  know  me?  "  said  Seth,  in  amazement. 

"  Yes,  and  you  ought  to  know  me.  We  were 
born  in  the  same  village." 

"  Mary  Grant !  "  ejaculated  Seth,  after  a 
brief  scrutiny. 

"  That  was  my  name.  Now  I  am  Mary 
Mead.  I  married,  but  my  husband  is  dead. 
But  sit  down.  It  does  me  good  to  see  an  old 
friend." 

"  It  seems  incredible,"  said  Seth,  as  he  took 
the  proffered  seat.  "  We  met  last  in  England, 
and  now  again  under  strange  and  unexpected 
circumstances." 

Seth  Lawton  seemed  moved,  but  his  tone  was 
one  of  satisfaction. 


The  Young  Salesman.  95 

"  Yes,  Seth,  much  has  happened  since  we 
parted." 

"  How  long  have  you  lived  in  America?  '' 

"  Ten  years." 

"And  when  did  your  husband  die?" 

11  Three  years  since.  He  left  me  nothing  but 
the  children,  and  it  has  been  a  sad  and  sorrow- 
ful time.  We  have  lived,  but  there  have  been 
times  when  we  have  been  on  the  verge  of  star- 
vation.    And  you,  how  has  it  been  with  you?  " 

"  I  have  no  right  to  complain.  I  have  lived 
comfortably.     You  know  Ezra  Little?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  at  my  request  that  he  took 
Willie  into  his  store.  But  the  two  dollars 
and  a  half  a  week,  which  he  pays  him,  seems 
very  small." 

"  I  should  think  so.  Didn't  he  know  how 
poor  you  were?"  asked  Seth,  indignantly. 

"  Yes,  but  he  said  he  could  not  favor  one 
cash  boy  more  than  the  rest." 

"  Then  he  might  have  made  you  a  present." 

"  I  don't  think  it  ever  occurred  to  him,  Seth. 
But  how  did  you  find  me?  Did  he  give  you  my 
address?  " 

"  No,  that  was  not  likely.  Scott  Walton — 
you  must  have  known  his  mother,  my  cousin 
Lucy — works  in  the  same  store.  It  was  he 
who  heard  of  your  trouble  and  reported  it  to 
me.     Now  tell  me  how  you  are  situated." 

"  We  are  likely  to  be  turned  out  of  these 
poor  rooms,  because  we  cannot  pay  the  rent. 
My  eldest  boy,  Sam,  had  been  sick,  and  as  he 


g6  The  Young  Salesman. 

earned  six  dollars  a  week,  it  took  most  of  our 
income  from  us.  Next  week  I  think  he  will  be 
able  to  go  to  work  again." 

"  This  is  a  poor  place  for  you,  Mary." 

"  We  are  glad  of  even  this  shelter.  We  are 
too  poor  to  be  particular." 

"  Your  income  consists  only  of  what  the  two 
boys  earn?  " 

"  I  earn  something  by  sewing,  but  I  have  no 
sewing  machine,  and  the  prices  paid  are  very 
low.     Still,  every  little  helps." 

"  If  you  had  a  whole  house  and  kept  lodgers, 
you  could  make  a  better  income." 

"  No  doubt,  and  I  think  I  could  do  it  if  I 
had  the  means.  But  with  no  capital,  that  is 
out  of  the  question,"  she  finished,  with  a  sigh. 

"  I  have  a  proposal  to  make  to  you.  I  have  a 
room  in  a  house  on  West  Sixteenth  Street.  It 
is  a  moderate  sized  house,  and  is  to  let  fur- 
nished. My  present  landlady  is  desirous  of 
giving  up  the  house,  as  she  wishes  to  be  with 
her  mother  in  the  country,  but  she  is  tied  by  a 
lease.     Suppose  you  take  it  off  her  hands?  " 

"  I  should  like  nothing  better,  but  you  can 
judge  whether  an  offer  from  one  so  poor  as 
myself  would  be  accepted." 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself  about  that,"  said 
Seth  Lawton,  quietly.  "  I  will  arrange  it  all, 
and  will  retain  my  room.  I  may  say  that  the 
rooms  are  all  taken,  so  that  you  would  be  sure 
of  an  income  at  once." 

"  I  should  like  the  arrangement  very  much, 


The  Young  Salesman.  97 

and  I  should  like  especially  to  have  you  with 
me,  Seth ;  but  it  seems  like  a  dream." 

"  We  will  make  it  a  reality.  I  will  see  Mrs. 
Field  this  evening,  and  call  on  you  again  to- 
morrow. When  does  your  month  here  ex- 
pire? " 

"  In  three  days." 

"  The  time  is  short,  but  it  is  sufficient.  You 
will  hear  from  me  very  soon.  Meanwhile  ac- 
cept this  small  favor." 

He  drew  from  his  pocket  a  ten-dollar  note, 
and  handed  it  to  the  widow. 

"  You  are  too  kind,  Seth,"  she  said,  grate- 
fully.   "  You  look  poor  yourself,  and " 

"  I  never  was  in  the  habit  of  dressing  very 
handsomely,"  said  Mr.  Lawton,  smiling,  "  and 
just  at  present  I  look  shabbier  than  usual. 
Perhaps  I  have  an  object  in  it.  At  any  rate, 
it  is  a  fact.  The  help  I  offer  you  will  not  em- 
barrass me  in  the  least." 

"  What  a  difference  between  you  and  Ezra 
Little,"  said  Mrs.  Mead.  "  He  has  never  of- 
fered me  a  dollar,  though  he  knew  me  as  well 
as  you." 

"  He  acts  according  to  his  nature,  Mary. 
Scott  is  an  orphan — his  father  died  on  the 
ship  that  brought  them  over  from  England — - 
but  Ezra  treats  him  as  meanly  as  he  has  treated 
you  and  your  boy.  He  makes  him  work  for 
his  board,  and  has  refused  him  a  suit  of  clothes, 
though  he  stood  in  need  of  it." 

Mr.   Lawton   remained   for   half  an   hour. 


98  The  Young  Salesman. 

Then  he  rose,  and  went  downstairs,  followed 
by  Scott. 

"  It  is  strange  you  should  have  met  an  old 
acquaintance,  Cousin  Seth,"  said  Scott. 

"  More  than  an  acquaintance,  Scott.  It  may 
seem  strange  to  you  that  an  old  fellow  like  me 
should  ever  have  been  in  love,  but  the  time  was 
when  I  was  in  love  with  Mary  Grant,  and 
asked  her  to  be  my  wife." 

"  And  she  refused  you?  " 

"  Yes,  Scott ;  I  was  fifteen  years  her  senior, 
and  she  liked  the  man,  whom  she  soon  after 
married,  better.  It  was  this  disappointment 
chiefly  that  led  to  my  leaving  England.  I  am 
very  glad  to  have  met  Mary  again.  Though 
years  have  passed  I  have  not  lost  my  attach- 
ment for  her.  I  am  glad  indeed  that  I  can  do 
the  poor  woman  a  service." 

His  voice  softened  as  he  spoke,  and  it  was 
clear  that  his  early  romance  was  not  dead. 

"  Mr.  Mead  was  a  handsome  man,"  continued 
Seth.  "  You  can  judge  of  that,  for  the  boy 
Willie  looks  like  him.  He  made  a  good  hus- 
band, I  presume,  but  he  had  not  the  knack  of 
succeeding  in  life." 

"  Like  Mr.  Little." 

"  Yes,  like  Ezra  Little." 

It  occurred  to  Scott  that  the  same  thing 
might  be  said  of  Seth  Lawton  himself,  but  he 
would  not,  of  course,  speak  of  it.  He  was  be- 
ginning to  have  a  sincere  respect  and  regard 
for  Cousin  Seth. 


The  Young  Salesman.  99 

What  matter  if  he  were  poor — at  least  com- 
pared with  Ezra  Little — he  evidently  had  a 
kind  heart,  and  was  inclined  to  be  generous 
beyond  his  means. 

"  All  cannot  become  rich,"  said  Scott.  "  I 
wish  you  had  Mr.  Little's  money,  though." 

"  Don't  wish  that,  Scott,  for  without  that 
Ezra  would  be  poor  indeed.  It  is  all  that  he 
has  to  boast  of." 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  the  same  with 
Loammi." 

"With  this  difference:  Ezra,  with  all  his 
faults,  is  enterprising  and  industrious,  and  I 
don't  think  his  son  will  be  either.  In  the  race 
of  life  you  may  eclipse  him,  after  aii."   * 

"  It  doesn't  seem  much  like  it  now." 

"No,  but  you  are  young  jet,  and  time  often 
works  wonders." 

"  Won't  it  cost  a  good  deal  to  set  up  Mrs. 
Mead  in  her  new  business? "  asked  Scott, 
thoughtfully. 

"Not  very  much.  She  will  enter  into  a 
house  fully  furnished  and  equipped,  and  with 
a  sure  and  prompt  income  from  a  good  set 
of  lodgers." 

"  I  hope  she  will  succeed." 

"  I  think  she  will.  If  Ezra  would  pay  you 
wages,  in  place  of  giving  you  a  home  in  his 
house,  you  might  take  a  room  there,  too." 

"  I  wish  I  could." 

"  Well,  it  may  come  about  some  time.  But 
look,  there  is  Loammi." 


ioo  The  Young  Salesman. 

Yes,  it  was  Loammi,  sporting  a  light  cane 
and  evidently  on  very  good  terms  with  him- 
self. 

"  Good-evening,  Loainnii,"  said  Cousin  Seth 

"Good-evening,  Mr.  Lawton,"  responded 
Loammi,  patronizingly.  "  Are  you  and  Scott 
taking  a  walk?" 

"Yes,  and  you?" 

"  Oh,  I  have  been  to  call  on  a  schoolmate 
His  father's  awful  rich." 

"  We,  too,  have  been  to  make  a  call — on  the 
mother  of  one  of  your  father's  cash  boys." 

Loammi  turned  up  his  nose. 

"  You  keep  fashionable  company,"  he  said. 

"  We  are  not  fashionable,  like  you,  Loammi " 
said  Scott,  smiling. 

"  No,  of  course  not,"  answered  Loammi,  in 
a  matter-of-course  tone.     "  Well,  ta   ta !  " 

"I  wonder  how  that  boy  will  turn  out'" 
said  Cousin  Seth,  thoughtfully. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  CASH  BOY'S  PROMOTION. 

Cousin  Seth  arranged  everything  as  he  had 
planned,  and  Mrs.  Mead's  landlord,  when  he 
called,  learned  to  his  surprise  that  his  poor 
tenant  was  intending  to  move. 

^  Have  you  found  cheaper  rooms?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  but  I  am  going  to  take  a  whole  house." 


The  Young  Salesman.  101 

The  landlord  looked  astonished. 

"  Where?  "  he  asked. 

"  On  West  Sixteenth  Street." 

"  Yet  you  have  always  been  pleading  pov- 
erty, and  only  last  month  I  had  to  wait  two 
days  for  the  last  dollar  of  the  rent." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  an  old  friend  has  found 
me  out,  and  will  give  me  a  helping  hand." 

Of  course,  no  more  was  to  be  said. 

The  removal  was  soon  made,  for  Mrs.  Mead 
had  little  to  move,  and  with  Seth  Lawton's 
efficient  help,  the  widow  found  herself  in  pos- 
session of  her  new  establishment,  with  every- 
thing running  smoothly. 

"  Now,"  said  Mr.  Lawton,  "  I  must  see  if  I 
can't  do  something  for  Willie.  How  much  does 
Ezra  Little  pay  him?  " 

"  Two  dollars  and  a  half  a  week." 

"  That  is  too  little." 

"  I  don't  think  Mr.  Little  will  pay  more." 

"  Let  him  ask." 

"  I  am  afraid  in  that  case  he  will  lose  his 
place.  The  last  time  Willie  asked  for  a  raise 
he  was  angry." 

"  Very  well,  if  he  loses  his  place  I  will  find 
him  another.    Or,  stay,  I  will  ask  Ezra  myself." 

"  That  will  be  better." 

So  Seth  called  the  next  evening  on  his  rich 
relative.  He  was  not  received  with  open  arms, 
for  Mr.  Little  was  under  the  impression  that  he 
wanted  to  borrow  money. 

"  I  can't  give  you  much  time  to-night,  Seth," 


102  The  Young  Salesman. 

said  the  merchant.  "  I  have  a  business  en- 
gagement.    Have  you  found  anything  to  do?  " 

"  I  think  I  can  see  my  way  clear  to  a  place 
as  confidential  clerk  and  bookkeeper  in  a  small 
office  downtown." 

"  How  much  salary?  " 

"  Possibly  fifteen  dollars  a  week." 

"  You  had  better  accept.  You  are  extremely 
lucky  at  your  age  to  get  such  an  office." 

"  You  wouldn't  be  satisfied  with  it,  Ezra," 
returned  Seth,  with  a  smile. 

"I?  You  are  dreaming.  What,  a  well- 
known  and  long-established  merchant  to  think 
of  such  a  salary !    You  must  be  insane." 

"  Yet  you  are  within  five  years  as  old  as  I 
am,  Ezra." 

"  What  does  that  matter?  I  take  it  there 
is  considerable  difference  between  your  posi- 
tion and  mine." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so." 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  I  didn't  think  you  would 
be  able  to  get  any  position  at  all.  I  hope  this 
won't  slip  through  your  fingers." 

"  Then  you  advise  me  to  accept  it?  " 

"  Of  course.  You  would  be  crazy  not  to  do 
so.  Remember,  you  will  have  to  depend  upon 
yourself.  The  fact  that  you  are  a  relation 
will  not  justify  you  in  asking  help  from  me." 

"  I  have  a  favor  to  ask,  however,  Ezra." 

"  I  cannot  lend  you  money,  if  that's  what 
you  mean,"  said  Ezra,  brusquely. 

"  It  isn't.    I  find  that  one  of  your  cash  boys 


The  Young  Salesman.  103 

is  the  son  of  an  old  friend  of  ours — Mary- 
Mead,  formerly  Mary  Grant." 

"  Yes ;  I  gave  the  boy  a  place  in  order  to 
help  her." 

"  You  pay  him  two  dollars  and  a  half  a  week. 
There  are  only  two  boys,  and  this  is  very 
small." 

"  It  is  all  I  pay  any  of  the  boys." 

"  But  Willie  is  a  well-grown  boy,  of  fourteen. 
Surely,  out  of  old  friendship,  and  to  help  his 
mother,  you  can  pay  him  more." 

"  Have  you  been  talking  to  Mrs.  Mead,  and 
encouraged  her  to  think  that  I  will  increase 
her  boy's  wages?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  you  have  done  a  foolish  thing.  I 
decline.  I  am  half  inclined  to  discharge  the 
boy." 

"  It  won't  be  necessary.  He  will  leave  the 
store  at  the  end  of  the  week." 

"  What  does  this  mean?  " 

"  That  I  will  undertake  to  find  him  a  better 
place." 

Ezra  looked  annoyed  and  angry. 

"  You  can't  do  it,"  he  said.  "  You  have  no 
acquaintances  in  the  city.  You  are  not  even 
sure  of  employment  yourself." 

"  So  it  seems  you  have  sized  me  up,  Ezra," 
said  Seth  Lawton,  mildly. 

"  That  is  easy  enough.  You  were  born  to  be 
an  unsuccessful  man.     You  are  fifty-six  years 


104  The  Young  Salesman. 

old,  and  I  suppose  you  haven't  saved  enough 
money  to  keep  you  going  for  three  months." 

"  I  don't  owe  a  cent,  Ezra." 

"  That  is  something.  But  I  can't  remain 
here  talking.  Don't  forget  what  I  said  about 
making  sure  of  the  place  you  spoke  of." 

"  Just  as  I  expected,"  thought  Seth.  "  Ezra 
seems  to  be  a  thoroughly  selfish  man.     It  is 

lucky  for  me  that "  but  he  did  not  finish 

the  sentence. 

Mr.  Little  did  not  think  of  the  matter  again 
till  the  superintendent  told  him  on  Saturday 
night :  "  One  of  the  cash  boys  has  resigned  his 
place." 

"Who  is  it?" 

"  William  Mead." 

"  It  is  all  the  bad  advice  of  Seth  Lawton," 
he  reflected.  "  He  is  a  perfect  meddler.  Prob- 
ably his  mother  will  be  here  in  a  day  or  two  to 
beg  me  to  take  him  back." 

But  no  such  application  came.  Willie  had 
obtained  a  place  on  Grand  Street  at  four  dol- 
lars a  week.  t 

Scott  continued  to  enjoy  the  companionship 
of  Seth  Lawton,  but  sometimes  cousin  Seth 
was  out  of  the  city  for  days  at  a  time,  in  which 
event  Scott  was  thrown  back  on  the  company 
of  Loammi,  but  this  gave  him  very  little  satis- 
faction. 

One  evening  Loammi  happened  upon  his 
cousin  coming  out  of  a  store  on  Sixth  Avenue. 


The  Young  Salesman.  105 

"Have  you  been  buying  anything?"  he 
asked. 

"  Yes." 

"What?" 

"  A  couple  of  neckties." 

"  Where  did  you  get  the  money?  " 

Scott  said,  quietly :  "  That  is  my  business, 
Loammi." 

"  I  thought  you  gave  pa  all  the  money  you 
had." 

"  I  gave  him  forty  dollars." 

"  How  much  have  you  got  left?  " 

"  I  don't  care  to  tell." 

This  was  enough  for  Loammi,  who  saw  a 
chance  to  do  his  cousin  an  ill  turn.  Accord- 
ingly he  said  to  his  father  that  evening :  "  Pa, 
did  you  know  that  Scott  had  money?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

Then  Loammi  told  the  story. 

"  I  asked  him  how  much  he  had,  and  he 
wouldn't  tell  me.  It  seems  to  me  he  ought  to 
have  handed  it  to  you." 

In  this  Mr.  Little  agreed  with  his  son. 

"Call  Scott,"  said^he. 

Scott  was  in  his  small  chamber,  and  there 
Loammi  found  him. 

"  Pa  wants  to  see  you,  Scott." 

Scott  went  downstairs  and  into  Mr.  Little's 
presence.  - 

"  Did  you  wish  to  see  me,  sir?  " 

"  Yes.  Loammi  tells  me  you  have  some 
money." 


io6  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Yes;  I  have  a  little  money." 

"  I  thought  you  gave  up  all  you  had  when 
you  came  here." 

"  So  I  did,  all  but  sixty  cents,  but  I  have 
regretted  it  since." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  I  understood  that  it  was  to  be 
used  for  my  clothing,  and  it  was  not." 

"  I  told  you  in  what  light  I  considered  it. 
But  I  won't  dwell  upon  that  now.  You  de- 
ceived me  in  letting  me  think  you  had  given  up 
all  your  money." 

"  No,  I  did  not,  sir." 

"  Then  how  do  you  explain  your  having 
money  at  present.  Was  it  given  you  by  Mr. 
Lawton?" 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Where,  then,  did  you  get  it?  " 

"  It  was  money  that  I  was  swindled  out  of 
by  a  fellow  passenger.  I  induced  him  to  re- 
turn a  part  of  it." 

"  How  much  have  you  now?  " 

"  About  five  dollars." 

"  You  may  give  it  to  me." 

"  I  prefer  not  to  do  so,  Mr.  Little ;  I  need  it 
myself." 

Scott  spoke  respectfully,  but  firmly. 

"  Do  you  refuse?  "  demanded  Ezra,  angrily. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Do  you  think  this  is  a  suitable  return  for 
all  I  have  done  for  you  ?  " 

"  You  have  given  me  a  home,  but  it  is  in 


The  Young  Salesman.  107 

return  for  services  in  your  store.  As  for  this 
money,  it  was  given  me  by  my  father  and  I 
prefer  to  keep  it." 

Ezra  Little  was  taken  aback  by  the  boy's 
resolute  tone.  On  the  whole,  he  decided  not  to 
press  the  demand. 

"  Be  it  so,"  he  said ;  "  but  understand  that 
I  shall,  hereafter,  give  you  nothing  but  your 
board  and  lodging.  When  you  require  cloth- 
ing or  anything  else,  you  must  buy  it  yourself." 

"  I  understand,  sir." 

"  Seth  has  been  talking  to  that  boy,"  re- 
flected Ezra  Little.  "  It  would  serve  him 
right  for  me  to  discharge  him." 

But  Ezra  Little  knew  that  Scott  was  an 
excellent  salesman,  and  that  he  could  not  sup- 
ply his  place  at  less  than  eight  dollars  a  week, 
so  he  did  not  care  to  dismiss  him. 

"  I'll  bring  him  to  terms  yet,"  he  said  to 
himself. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

LOAMMI'S  TEMPTATION. 

Loammi  had  a  high  idea  of  his  personal 
qualities  and  social  standing.  But  he  had  one 
grievance. 

He  received  an  allowance  from  his  father, 
but  it  was  much  less  than  he  thought  he  needed. 
Ezra  Little  was  not  a  liberal  man.     He  gave 


108  The  Young  Salesman. 

Loanimi  a  dollar  every  Saturday  night,  and 
obstinately  refused  to  give  him  more. 

"  It  is  very  hard  to  get  along  on  a  dollar, 
pa,"  complained  Loammi. 

"  When  I  was  your  age  I  had  no  allowance 
at  all,  my  son." 

"  You  were  a  poor  boy.  You  were  not  ex- 
pected to  keep  up  appearances." 

"  You  have  no  clothes  to  buy.  I  provide  for 
you  in  that  respect,  and  I  think  you  are  as  well 
dressed  as  most  of  the  boys  you  associate 
with." 

"  I  don't  complain  of  my  clothes,  but  a  boy 
wants  to  keep  up  his  end  with  his  school 
friends.  Yesterday  afternoon,  Henry  Bates 
proposed  to  me  to  go  in  and  get  an  ice  cream, 
but  I  couldn't,  for  I  had  no  money." 

"  Have  you  spent  all  your  weekly  allow- 
ance? " 

"  Yes,  every  cent." 

"  Yet  it  is  only  Wednesday." 

"  And  I  must  scrimp  till  Saturday  night." 

"  Then  you  should  manage  better.  If  you 
limited  yourself  to  ten  cents  a  day  for  the  first 
five  days,  you  would  be  able  to  spend  twenty- 
five  cents  on  Friday  and  Saturday." 

"  That's  easier  said  than  done,  pa." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  getting  extravagant, 
Loammi." 

"  Even  Scott  goes  around  with  more  money 
in  his  pocket  than  I  do." 

"  How  much  money  has  he  got?  " 


The  Young  Salesman.  109 

"  About  five  dollars." 

"  He  will  have  to  spend  it  for  clothes.  He 
won't  be  able  to  buy  ice  cream  with  it.'' 

"  Still,  it  makes  a  fellow  feel  good  to  have 
as  much  money  as  that  in  his  pocket." 

"  Then  I  advise  you  to  save  up  money  for 
a  few  weeks  till  you  have  as  much." 

"  Pa,"  suggested  Loanirni,  insinuatingly, 
"  couldn't  you  let  me  have  a  five-dollar  bill  to 
carry  round  with  me,  so  that  I  could  show  it  to 
my  friends?    They  would  think  more  of  me." 

"  How  long  do  you  think  it  would  remain  un- 
broken?" asked  his  father,  shrewdly. 

"  Oh,  ever  so  long." 

"  I  don't  wish  to  try  the  experiment.  Your 
friends  will  respect  you  without  that.  They 
know  that  you  are  the  son  of  a  man  who  is 
well  off." 

"  No,  they  don't  think  so,  when  they  see 
that  I  am  alwavs  short  of  money  and  hard 
up." 

"  Then  let  them  think  what  they  please.  If 
they  thought  you  had  money  they  would  want 
to  borrow  it,  or  urge  you  to  spend  it  on  them." 

So  Loammi  failed  in  his  effort  to  obtain  a 
larger  allowance. 

One  day — it  was  Friday — he  particularly 
wanted  to  use  some  money,  and  was  without  a 
penny.  Under  these  circumstances  it  occurred 
to  him  that  his  despised  cousin  was  well  sup- 
plied with  cash,  and  might  be  induced  to  ac- 
commodate him  with  a  loan. 


no  The  Young  Salesman. 

Scott  was  rather  surprised  when,  as  he  was 
going  out  after  supper,  Loamrui  joined  hiin. 

"  Are  you  going  out  for  a  walk?  "  he  asked, 
in  an  unusually  gracious  tone. 

"  Yes,  Loamini." 

"  I  will  join  you  if  you  don't  mind." 

"  Certainly.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  your 
company." 

"  Have  you  called  on  Mr.  Lawton  lately?  " 

"  No ;  he  is  out  of  town  just  now.  I  think 
he  has  gone  to  Philadelphia." 

"  Has  he  got  a  place?  " 

"  He  is  doing  something,  but  I  don't  know 
what  it  is.  He  doesn't  seem  to  say  much  about 
his  affairs." 

"  I  hope  he  won't  spend  all  his  money." 

"  So  do  I.  He  seems  to  be  generous,  even  be- 
yond his  means." 

"  I  wish  he'd  be  generous  to  me,"  thought 
Loammi. 

They  walked  down  Broadway,  Loammi  chat- 
ting pleasantly. 

"  Oh,  by  the  way,"  he  said,  suddenly,  "  I 
find  I  have  left  my  purse  at  home.  Could  you 
lend  me  a  dollar?  " 

Then  it  flashed  upon  Scott  what  was  the 
meaning  of  his  cousin's  agreeable  manner.  He 
was  of  an  obliging  disposition,  but  he  knew 
Loammi  well  enough  to  be  certain  that  he 
would  never  see  his  money  back. 

"  I  am  sorry,  Loammi,"  he  said,  "  but  I  am 
afraid  I  can't  lend  you  any  money." 


The  Young  Salesman.  in 

"  Haven't  you  got  any?  " 

"  Yes,  but  I  have  to  buy  my  own  clothes,  as 
you  know,  and  I  need  some  underclothing." 

"  That  won't  cost  much." 

"  True,  but  there  are  other  things  I  need, 
also." 

"  I  don't  ask  you  to  give  me  the  money.  To- 
morrow evening  I  shall  get  my  allowance  from 
pa,  and  then  I  can  pay  you  back." 

"  You  must  excuse  me,  Loammi,  but  I  have 
so  little  money  that  I  have  to  be  very  careful  of 
that  little.  If  I  had  some  one  to  buy  my  clothes 
for  me,  as  you  have,  it  would  be  different." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  Loammi,  offended,  "  do  as 
you  like.  You  seem  to  forget  that  but  for  pa 
you  would  be  in  the  poorhouse." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should." 

"  Of  course  you  would.  Doesn't  he.give  you 
your  living?  " 

"  No.    I  earn  it." 

"  All  the  same.  He  gave  you  a  place  in  his 
store." 

"  I  think  I  could  have  got  work  somewhere 
else.  However.  I  don't  deny  that  your  father 
gave  me  employment." 

"  And  you  repay  him  by  refusing  a  slight 
favor  to  his  son." 

"  I  wish  I  were  differently  situated,  Loammi, 
but " 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  go  on.  You  have  refused 
me  a  small  favor.  Good-evening ! "  and  Lo- 
ammi left  his  cousin,  and  went  off  in  a  huff. 


112  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Now,  I  suppose  Loammi  will  dislike  me 
more  than  ever,"  thought  Scott.  "  Well,  I 
must  put  up  with  it.  I  am  not  rich  enough  to 
lend  him  money  which  he  won't  pay  back." 

Meanwhile,  Loammi  went  home  in  a  very  un- 
satisfactory frame  of  mind.  He  was  disgusted 
with  himself  now  because  he  had  humiliated 
himself  so  far  as  to  ask  his  cousin  for  a  loan. 

"  I'll  get  even  with  him  if  I  get  a  chance,"  he 
reflected,  angrily. 

He  was  destined  to  another  mortification. 

Before  he  reached  home  he  met  a  school- 
mate named  Paul  Granger.  He  wished  he 
could  have  avoided  him  for  a  reason  that  will 
immediately  appear,  but  Paul  met  him  as  he 
turned  in  from  the  corner  of  West  Forty- 
fourth  Street. 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you,  Loammi,"  said 
Paul.  "  You  are  owing  me  a  dollar,  you 
know.  I  should  like  it  back,  as  I  want  to  go  to 
a  picnic  to-morrow." 

"  All  right,"  said  Loammi,  and  he  put  his 
hand  in  his  pocket. 

"  By  Jove ! "  he  exclaimed,  in  apparent  as- 
tonishment. "  My  purse  is  empty.  I  shall 
have  to  make  you  wait  a  day  or  two." 

"  But  I  have  been  waiting  already  for  three 
weeks,"  protested  Paul. 

"  I  am  sorry,  but  I  really  can't  do  anything 
for  you  to-day.    About  the  first  of  next  week." 

"  Why  don't  you  ask  your  father  for  some 
money?    He  is  a  rich  man,  isn't  he?" 


The  Young  Salesman.  113 

"  Yes,  but  he  would  be  angry  if  he  knew  that 
I  had  borrowed  money.  He  is  very  strict  about 
such  matters." 

"  Then  you  ought  not  to  have  borrowed 
money  of  me,"  said  Paul. 

"  Oh,  I'll  make  it  all  right  in  a  day  or  two," 
said  Loammi.  "  Good-evening,  I  am  in  a  little 
of  a  hurry." 

Paul  Granger  walked  away,  pretty  well  as- 
sured that  he  would  never  get  back  his  dollar. 

"  I  suppose  that  fellow  will  be  annoying  me 
every  day,"  said  Loammi  to  himself.  "  Heigh- 
ho!  it's  awful  inconvenient  to  be  so  poor.  Pa 
could  make  it  all  right  if  he'd  open  his  heart 
and  give  me  five  or  ten  dollars  " 

Loammi  entered  the  house  fully  convinced 
that  he  was  very  ill  used,  and  that  his  father 
was  a  very  selfish  man. 

He  walked  upstairs  slowly,  and  as  he  passed 
through  the  upper  hall  he  saw  the  door  of  his 
mother's  chamber  open.  He  went  in,  thinking 
that  he  might  be  able  to  borrow  ifrom  her, 
when  as  his  eyes  glanced  around  the  room  he 
saw  something  that  made  his  heart  beat 
quicker. 

On  the  bureau  lay  a  small  pocketbook  which 
he  recognized  as  his  mother's. 

Under  present  circumstances  the  sight  of  a 
pocketbook  affected  him  powerfully. 

Without  any  definite  idea  of  what  he  would 
do,  he  walked  softly  to  the  bureau,  and  taking 
the  pocketbook  in  his  hand,  opened  it. 


ii4  The  Young  Salesman. 

It  contained  two  bills,  a  five-dollar  note  and 
a  one. 

"  This  would  just  get  me  out  of  my  trouble," 
he  thought.    "  I  wish  this  money  was  mine." 

It  was  a  strong  temptation.  With  the  one 
dollar  he  could  pay  Paul  Granger,  and  the  five 
would  last  him  some  time,  supplementing  what 
he  called  his  miserable  allowance. 

He  put  the  pocketbook  in  his  pocket,  and 
slipping  downstairs  stealthily,  went  out  again 
into  the  street. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SUSPICION  FALLS  UPON  SCOTT. 

As  he  reached  the  street,  Loammi  paused, 
for  a  thought  came  to  him.  It  was  a  mean, 
despicable  thought,  worse  than  the  theft.  But 
it  struck  him  favorably,  and  he  decided  to  act 
upon  it. 

He  opened  the  front  door — for  he  had  a 
latchkey— and  went  upstairs  again.  But  not 
to  his  mother's  room.  Instead,  he  went  one 
floor  higher,  and  opened  the  door  of  Scott's 
little  chamber.  Then  he  took  the  two  bills  from 
the  pocketbook  and  thrust  them  into  his  vest 
pocket. 

Next  he  looked  about  his  cousin's  chamber, 
and  after  some  deliberation  lifted  the  lid  of  a 


The  Young  Salesman.  115 

-small  box  that  stood  on  a  shelf  and  dropped  the 
pocketbook  inside. 

Then,  with  a  look  of  satisfaction,  he  closed 
the  door  of  the  room  and  went  into  the  hall. 
As  he  did  so  another  door  opened  upon  the 
landing,  and  Ellen,  the  servant,  came  out  of 
her  own  room. 

She  looked  with  some  surprise  at  Loammi, 
who  did  not  often  show  himself  upon  the  third 
floor. 

Loammi  was  somewhat  disconcerted  by  this 
sudden  encounter.  He  felt  that  it  might  prove 
awkard  for  him. 

He  must  try  to  account  in  some  way  for  his 
being  there. 

"  Do  you  know  if  Scott  is  in  the  house?  "  he 
asked. 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  I  thought  he  might  be  in  his  room,  and 
so  came  up.  But  he  doesn't  appear  to  be 
there." 

"  I  think  he  went  out  after  supper,"  said 
Ellen,  accepting  the  explantion. 

"  Well,  it  doesn't  matter.  I  shall  see  him  to- 
morrow morning,  at  any  rate." 

Loammi  went  downstairs  and  out  into  the 
street  once  more. 

"  It  is  well  I  had  my  wits  about  me,"  he 
thought,  complacently.  "  That  was  a  pretty 
good  explanation.  Ellen  won't  suspect  any- 
thing.   She  will  think  it  is  all  right." 

Loammi  walked  briskly.     He  was  in  good 


n6  The  Young  Salesman. 

spirits,  for  it  made  him  feel  comfortable  to 
think  he  had  six  dollars  in  his  pocket.  He 
could  not  remember  the  time  when  he  had  so 
much  money  in  his  pocket  at  once. 

"  An  ice  cream  would  taste  good,"  he 
thought. 

Like  many  young  people,  Loammi  had  a 
weakness  for  ice  cream. 

He  walked  over  to  Sixth  Avenue,  and  entered 
a  small  ice  cream  saloon.  Just  at  the  door  he 
met  Paul  Granger.  He  was  already  entering 
the  saloon,  when  he  caught  sight  of  Paul. 

Had  he  seen  him  sooner  he  would  perhaps 
have  walked  on,  and  put  off  the  ice  cream.  As 
it  was,  he  made  the  best  of  the  situation. 

"How  are  you,  Paul?"  he  said,  cordially. 
"  Come  in  and  have  an  ice  cream." 

"  I  thought  you  didn't  have  any  money,"  re- 
plied Paul,  surprised. 

{t  Oh,  well,  my  ship  has  come  in,"  said 
Loammi,  lightly. 

"  Then  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  pay  me  the 
dollar  you  owe  me." 

"  I  will.  Now  let  us  sit  down  and  enjoy  the 
ice  cream." 

They  sat  down  at  a  small  table,  and  the  ice 
cream  was  brought,  with  a  plate  of  cake  be- 
sides. 

Paul  Granger  began  to  think  Loammi  was 
a  nice  fellow,  after  all — especially  when  he 
received  back  the  dollar  a  little  later  on.     In 


The  Young  Salesman.  117 

paying  for  the  ice  cream,  Loamnii  got  the  five- 
dollar  bill  changed. 

"  Whew  !  I  should  think  your  ship  had  come 
in,"  exclaimed  Paul.  "  You'll  be  in  funds 
now." 

"  Yes,  for  a  little  while." 

As  the  two  boys  left  the  ice-cream  saloon 
they  came  upon  Scott,  who  was  just  passing. 
This  annoyed  Loammi,  who  didn't  care  to  have 
his  cousin  know  that  he  had  been  spending 
money. 

"  Good-evening,  Loammi,"  said  Scott,  po- 
litely. 

"Who  is  that  boy,  Loammi?"  asked  Paul, 
when  Scott  had  gone  on. 

"  A  cousin  of  mine.  He  is  poor,  and  pa 
gave  him  a  place  in  the  store." 

"  He  seems  like  a  nice  fellow.  Why  didn't 
you  introduce  me?  " 

"  He  isn't  in  our  set,"  said  Loammi.  "  I 
didn't  think  you'd  care  to  know  him.' 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  so  snobbish  as  that.  Besides, 
he  is  a  cousin  of  yours." 

"  That  is  true.  I  suppose  we  all  have  poor 
relations." 

"  Yes ;  the  boy  I  like  best  is  a  poor  relation 
of  mine — a  cousin." 

The  two  boys  walked  as  far  as  Bryant  Park 
and  sat  down  on  a  bench.  They  talked  about 
such  subjects  as  interest  schoolboys,  till  Paul, 
looking  at  his  watch,  said  :  "  It  is  time  for  me 


n8  The  Young  Salesman. 

to  go  home ;  mother  has  a  bad  headache,  and  i 
promised  I  wouldn't  stay  out  late." 

Meanwhile,  Mrs.  Little  had  a  call  from  her 
seamstress,  who  brought  home  some  work  upon 
which  she  had  been  engaged. 

"  What  is  the  charge?  "  asked  Mrs.  Little. 

"  Two  dollars." 

Mrs.  Little  felt  in  her  pocket  for  her  money, 
and  didn't  find  it.  She  looked  puzzled  at  first, 
then  her  brow  cleared  up. 

"  I  remember,  I  laid  my  pocketbook  on  the 
bureau  in  my  room,"  she  reflected. 

"  Wait  here  a  moment,"  she  said.  "  I  will 
bring  you  the  money." 

But  when  she  reached  her  chamber  she 
looked  in  vain  for  the  pocketbook. 

"  That  is  strange,"  she  soliloquized.  "  I  dis- 
tinctly remember  laying  it  down  on  the 
bureau." 

She  summoned  the  servant. 

"  Ellen,"  she  said,  "  have  you  by  chance  been 
into  my  chamber  within  an  hour  or  two?  " 

"  No,  ma'am.    Is  anything  the  matter?  " 

"  My  pocketbook  is  missing.  I  laid  it  down 
on  the  bureau  and  forgot  to  take  it  up  again." 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  ma'am ;  was  there  much 
money  in  it?  " 

"  Two  bills,  a  five  and  a  one." 

"  That  is  too  much  to  lose." 

"  It  is  a  little  awkward.  Miss  Green,  my 
seamstress,  is  here,  and  I  want  to  pay  her  two 


The  Young  Salesman.  119 

dollars.  Do  you  happen  to  have  any  money 
with  you?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am ;  I  can  let  you  have  the  two  dol- 
lars." 

"  Thank  you.  I  will  give  it  back  to  you 
when  Mr.  Little  comes  in. 

"  Who  can  have  taken  the  money?  "  thought 
Mrs.  Little.  "  It  can't  be  Ellen  for  she  is  an 
old  and  trusted  servant,  and  there  doesn't 
seem  to  be  any  one  else.  It  is  certainly  mys- 
terious." 

Mrs.  Little  did  not  so  much  care  for  the 
money;  it  was  the  mystery  that  perplexed  her. 
She  was  sure  she  had  placed  the  pocketbook  on 
the  bureau,  and  it  could  not  have  got  away 
without  hands. 

A  few  minutes  later  Scott  entered  the  house. 

"  Have  you  been  at  home  this  evening, 
Scott?"  asked  Mrs.  Little. 

"  No ;  I  went  out  directly  after  supper." 

"  And  Loammi  also?  " 

"  Yes ;  we  went  out  together." 

"  Did  you  remain  with  him?  " 

"  No ;  we  soon  separated." 

"  Oh,  well,  never  mind.  I  suppose  he  hasn't 
come  in  yet" 

"  I  will  go  to  his  room  and  see." 

"If  you  please." 

Scott  reported  thas  his  cousin  was  not  in. 

"Really,"  thought  Mrs.  Little,  "if  the 
amount  were  larger,  I  might  think  it  necessary 
to  call  in  a  detective." 


120  The  Young  Salesman. 

Possibly  the  pocketbook  had  fallen  on  the 
carpet.  She  instituted  a  search,  but  it  proved 
unsuccessful. 

Fifteen  minutes  later  Loammi  came  in. 

"  I  wonder  whether  the  loss  has  been  dis- 
covered? "  he  said  to  himself.  "  I'll  find  ma, 
and  then  I  shall  learn." 

"  Good-evening,  ma,"  he  said. 

"  Where  have  you  been,  Loammi?  " 

"  Oh,  walking  round  with  Paul  Granger. 
Has  Scott  got  home?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  am  rather  tired.  I  guess  I'll  go  up  to 
my  room." 

"  Stop  a  minute,  Loammi.  Perhaps  you  can 
help  me  solve  a  mystery." 

"Now  it  is  coming!"  thought  Loammi. 

"  What  is  it,  ma?  "  he  inquired,  carelessly. 

"  I  have  met  with  a  loss." 

"  What  have  you  lost — your  watch?  " 

"  No,  my  pocketbook." 

"  You  don't  say ! "  ejaculated  Loammi,  in 
innocent  surprise.  "  I  hope  there  wasn't  much 
money  in  it." 

«  There  were  six  dollars — a  one  and  a  five." 

"  Is  that  so?     I  wonder "  and  then  he 

stopped  short. 

"  What  is  it  you  wonder?  "  asked  his  mother, 
quickly. 

"  Oh,  I'd  rather  not  tell." 

"  But  I  insist  upon  your  telling,  if  it  will 
throw  any  light  on  my  loss." 


The  Young  Salesman.  121 

"  Well,  it  may  not  mean  anything,  but  I 
know  that  Scott  has  a  five-dollar  bill.  I  saw 
it  to-night.  But,  of  course,  there  are  plenty  of 
five-dollar  bills." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

TRAPPED. 

"  I  don't  think  Scott  would  take  my  money," 
said  Mrs.  Little. 

"  I  don't  like  to  think  so  myself,"  rejoined 
Loammi,  "  but  some  one  must  have  taken  it." 

"  You  say  that  Scott  has  a  five-dollar  bill?  " 
said  his  mother,  doubtfully. 

"  Yes,  I  saw  it." 

"  When  did  you  see  it?  " 

"  This  evening.  I  was  surprised,  for  I  knew 
he  was  poor." 

Mrs.  Little  began  to  think  that  Scott  might 
have  yielded  to  sudden  temptation. 

"  Won't  you  call  Scott?  "  she  said.  "  He  is 
in  his  room." 

Loammi  obeyed  with  alacrity. 

He  knocked  at  Scott's  door,  and  it  was 
opened  to  him. 

"  Scott,"  he  said,  "  ma  wants  to  see  you. 
Can  you  come  downstairs?" 

"  Certainly." 

Scott  was  somewhat  surprised,  but  he  went 
down  at  once. 


122  The  Young  Salesman. 

Mrs.  Little  looked  embarrassed.  She  was  a 
kind-hearted  woman,  and  she  shrank  from 
charging  Scott  with  theft. 

u  Did  you  wish  to  speak  with  me,  Mrs. 
Little?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  Yes ;  I  have  met  with  a  loss.  My  pocket- 
book,  containing  a  sum  of  money,  has  disap- 
peared." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it." 

"  I  thought  possibly  you  or  Loammi  might 
have  seen  it." 

"  I  have  not  seen  anything  of  a  pocket- 
book.    When  did  you  miss  it?  " 

"  I  have  not  seen  it  since  three  o'clock  this 
afternoon." 

"  Do  you  remember  whether  you  laid  it  down 
anywhere?  " 

"  Yes;  I  laid  it  on  the  bureau  in  my  room." 

"  Then  how  could  I  have  seen  it?  I  don't  go 
into  your  room." 

"  Nor  I,"  put  in  Loammi. 

"  I  hope  you  don't  suspect  either  of  us  of 
stealing  it,"  said  Scott,  gravely. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think.  Loammi 
tells  me  that  you  have  in  your  possession  a  five- 
dollar  bill.  The  pocketbook  contained  a 
five-dollar  bill." 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Little ;  I  have  a  five-dollar  bill  of 
my  own,  I  have  had  it  for  some  time.  This 
Loammi  knew,  and  also  where  I  got  it." 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  that.    But  it 


The  Young  Salesman.  123 

seems  very  strange  what  can  have  become  of 
the  money.'' 

"  Ma,"  put  in  Loaninii,  "  tell  me  in  what  sort 
of  a  pocketbook  you  kept  the  money?  " 

Mrs.  Little  gave  a  description  of  it. 

"  I  have  something  to  propose.  Suppose  you 
search  my  chamber  and  Scott's,  to  see  if  there 
is  any  such  pocketbook  in  either." 

"  I  don't  like  to  do  that.  It  would  be  acting 
as  if  I  thought  you  dishonest." 

"  I  have  no  objecion  for  one,"  said  Loammi. 
"  Have  you,  Scott?  " 

"  None  whatever." 

"  Then  suppose  we  go  about  it.  Go  to  my 
chamber  first." 

The  three  went  into  Loammi's  room.  Of 
course  the  search  revealed  nothing  of  the  lost 
pocketbook. 

"  Now,  let  us  go  upstairs." 

So  they  proceeded  to  Scott's  room. 

Scott  sat  down  on  a  chair. 

"  Don't  mind  me,"  he  said.  "  Look  wher- 
ever you  see  fit." 

Loammi  lifted  the  pillow,  then  the  bed- 
clothes, peered  behind  the  table,  and  under  the 
bed. 

"  Of  course,  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea  of 
finding  it  here,  Scott,"  he  said,  "  but  it  is  just 
as  well  to  look  thoroughly." 

"  You  can't  please  me  better." 

With  a  nonchalant  air  Loammi  went  to  the 
shelf,  and  raised  the  cover  of  a  small  tin  box. 


124  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  What  is  this?  "  he  asked,  drawing  from  it 
the  pocketbook. 

"  That  is  my  pocketbook,"  said  Mr*s.  Little, 
quickly.  "  Oh,  Scott,  how  could  you  haye 
taken  it?" 

"  I  wouldn't  have  believed  it,"  said  Loammi, 
trying  to  look  surprised. 

"  Let  me  see  that  pocketbook,"  said  Scott, 
quickly. 

It  was  placed  in  his  hand. 

"  Is  this  the  pocketbook  you  lost?  "  he  asked, 
turning  to  Mrs.  Little. 

"  If  it  is  not,  it  is  exactly  like  it.  Did  you 
have  one  of  this  kind?  " 

"  No,  and  I  never  saw  this  before." 

Loammi  looked  significantly  at  his  mother. 

"  I  hope  what  you  say  is  "true,"  said  Mrs. 
Little,  looking  troubled. 

"It  is  true.  What  else  was  there  in  the 
pocketbook  except  a  five-dollar  bill?  " 

"  A  one-dollar  note." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  either.  Open  this, 
Loammi,  and  see  if  either  is  in  it  now." 

Loammi  did  so,  but  of  course  the  pocket- 
book  was  empty. 

"  Do  you  think  I  took  this  pocketbook  from 
your  room,  Mrs.  Little?"  asked  Scott. 

"What  am  I  to  think?" 

"I  can't  tell  you.  I  can  tell  you  what  I 
think." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  That  the  person  who  stole  the  pocketbook 


The  Young  Salesman.  125 

took  out  the  money  and  placed  it  where  it  was 
found." 

"  Oh,  of  course,"  sneered  Loainmi,  "  but  who 
was  it?" 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  mean  to  find  out." 

He  gazed  fixedly  at  Loammi,  who  flushed  a 
little,  for  he  saw  that  he  was  suspected. 

"  Ma,"  he  said,  "  I  hope  you'll  forgive  Scott. 
Probably  he  will  be  willing  to  give  up  the 
money." 

"  I  consider  that  remark  an  insulting  one, 
Loammi.  I  don't  want  to  be  forgiven,  nor  can 
I  give  up  money  that  I  didn't  take." 

"  Haven't  vou  got  a  five-dollar  note  in  vour 
pocket?" 

"  Yes,  but  it's  my  own." 

"  We  won't  continue  the  discussion,"  said 
Mrs.  Little,  sadly.  "  I  would  a  great  deal 
rather  have  given  away  the  money  than  lose  it 
in  this  way." 

"  So  you  think  me  guilty,  Mrs.  Little?  " 

"  I  shall  have  to,  if  you  don't  explain  how 
the  pocketbook  came  to  be  in  your   room." 

"  That  I  can't  do.  Of  course  it  was  placed 
there,  but  I  can't  tell  who  did  it." 

"  Of  course  I  must  report  the  matter  to  Mr. 
Little." 

"  Do  so,  madam.  Perhaps  he  can  think  of 
some  way  to  find  out  the  real  thief." 

"  Ma,  I  am  sleepy.  I  think  I  will  go  to 
bed,"  said  Loammi. 

Mother  and  son  rose,  and  left  the  room. 


126  The  Young  Salesman. 

It  will  readily  be  supposed  that  Scott  did 
not  sleep  much  that  night.  He  saw  the  awk- 
wardness of  his  position. 

He  felt  convinced  that  Loammi,  if  he  had 
not  taken  the  money,  had  secreted  the  pocket- 
book  in  his  room  with  the  design  of  throwing 
suspicion  upon  him.  But  how  could  he  prove 
this? 

That  was  the  question,  and  one  that  baffled 
him. 

Of  course  it  was  a  despicable  thing  to  do,  but 
he  believed  that  his  cousin  was  quite  capable 
of  it. 

The  next  morning  Scott  shrank  from  going 
down  to  breakfast.  It  was  embarrassing  for 
him  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  thief,  even  though 
he  were  supported  by  the  consciousness  of  in- 
nocence. 

As  soon  as  he  entered  the  dining-room,  he 
saw  by  Mr.  Little's  cold  and  frigid  expres- 
sion that  he  had  been  told. 

Still,  nothing  was  said  until  the  meal  was 
over. 

When  Scott  rose  from  the  table,  Mr.  Little 
said :  "  Stay  behind  a  minute,  young  man.  I 
have  something  to  say  to  you." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Mrs.  Little  has  told  me  of  the  discovery 
that  was  made  in  your  chamber  last  evening." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

"  But  it  is  not  very  well.  It  looks  very  bad 
for  you." 


The  Young  Salesman.  127 

"  Mr.  Little,  do  you  think  I  took  your  wife's 
pocketbook?" 

"  The  evidence  is  pretty  conclusive." 

"  All  I  can  say  is  that  I  am  as  innocent  as 
you  are." 

"  The  pocketbook  contained  a  five-dollar  bill. 
I  learn  that  you  have  a  five-dollar  bill." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  think  that  settles  it." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Little,  but  you 
yourself  probably  have  a  five-dollar  bill  in 
your  pocket.    It  proves  nothing." 

"  You  are  very  plausible,  but  I  am  not  easily 
fooled.  I  have  just  one  thing  to  say.  Give  up 
that  five-dollar  bill,  and  we  will  overlook  the 
theft." 

"And  if  not?" 

"  Then  you  must  leave  my  house  and  con- 
sider yourself  discharged  from  my  store." 

Scott  was  pale  but  composed. 

"  You  are  treating  me  with  great  injustice," 
he  said.  "  My  innocence  will  some  day  appear. 
In  the  meantime  I  shall  leave  your  house  at 
once.5' 

"  That  is  for  you  to  decide,"  said  Mr.  Little, 
coldly,  as  he  rose  from  the  table. 

Scott  walked  up  slowly  to  his  little  chamber. 
His  heart  was  heavy  within  him. 

He  was  innocent,  yet  adjudged  guilty.  His 
home  and  situation  were  taken  from  him,  and 
he  was  turned  out  into  the  street. 


128  The  Young  Salesman. 

He  resolved  to  go  around  to  see  Cousin  Seth, 
Of  his  sympathy  he  felt  assured. 

He  rang  the  bell,  and  Mrs.  Mead  opened  the 
door  in  person. 

"  Good-morning,  Scott,"  she  said,  pleasantly. 

"  Is  Mr.  Lawton  in?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  No ;  he  left  last  evening  for  the  West,  to 
be  absent  about  a  month.  He  asked  me  to 
say  that  he  would  write  you  in  a  day  or  two. 
He  was  called  away  suddenly  by  a  telegram.  " 

Scott's  heart  sank  within  him.  He  seemed 
to  have  lost  his  only  friend. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  NEW  HOME. 

"  Did  you  wish  to  see  Mr.  Lawton  about 
something  important?"  asked  Mrs.  Mead. 

"  Yes,  I  wish  to  ask  his  advice.  I  have  lost 
my  place." 

"At  Mr.  Little's  store?" 

"  Yes." 

"  I  never  liked  Mr.  Little.  I  am  glad  Willie 
has  another  position." 

"  Have  you  a  small  room  vacant,  Mrs.  Mead? 
I  have  left  Mr.  Little's  house  also,  and  I  must 
find  a  room  somewhere." 

"  I  have  a  small  hall  bedroom  on  the  third 
floor." 


The  Young  Salesman.  129 

"  What  rent  do  you  charge?  " 

"  Two  dollars  a  week,  usually,  but  to  you  I 
will  make  it  a  dollar  and  a  half." 

"  Then  I  will  take  it.  Can  I  go  up  at  once 
and  leave  my  valise?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  will  show  the  way." 

The  room  was  small,  as  Mrs.  Mead  had  de- 
scribed it,  but  it  was  scrupulously  clean. 
Scott  felt  that  he  would  be  very  well  satisfied 
with  it,  if  only  he  could  continue  to  pay  the 
rent.  It  was  certainly  pleasanter  than  the 
room  he  had  occupied  at  Ezra  Little's. 

"  You  must  dine  with  us  to-night,  Mr.  Wal- 
ton," said  Mrs.  Mead,  hospitably.  "  Willie  will 
be  glad  to  see  you,  and  then  yon  can  tell  us  how 
you  came  to  leave  the  store." 

As  soon  as  he  was  settled,  Scott  went  out 
and  began  to  look  for  a  position.  He  bought 
a  morning  paper,  and  looked  over  the  adver- 
tisement of  "  Help  Wanted." 

He  took  down  several  names,  and  began  to 
call  in  rotation.  In  several  instances  he  found 
the  places  already  filled.  In  one  place  he  was 
offered  two  dollars  and  a  half  a  week,  which 
he  knew  it  would  be  idle  to  accept,  as  it  would 
do  little  more  than  pay  his  room  rent. 

In  one  place  he  was  asked  where  he  had 
worked  last. 

"  At  Little's  dry-goods  store  on  Eight  Ave- 
nue," he  answered. 

"  Why  did  you  leave?  " 


130  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Because  of  a  disagreement  with*  Mr 
Little." 

"  I  don't  think  we  shall  require  your  serv- 
ices," said  the  merchant,  coldly. 

He  turned  away,  as  if  to  intimate  that  the 
conference  was  at  an  end. 

Scott  was  depressed.  He  saw  that  any 
explanation  he  might  give  of  his  leaving  his 
former  place  would  only  injure  him.  Yet,  al- 
most everywhere  the  question  would  be  asked. 

This  made  him  feel  all  the  more  that  he  had 
been  very  unjustly  treated  by  Ezra  Little.  He 
had  been  required  to  plead  guilty  to  a  theft 
which  he  had  not  committed,  and  to  replace  the 
money  lost  with  money  of  his  own.  He  had 
very  properly  declined  to  do  this,  and  now  he 
was  thrown  out  of  employment,  with  very  little 
chance  of  securing  another  place. 

Several  days  passed,  and  Scott  must  have 
made  application  for  a  hundred  situations. 
But  his  luck  did  not  improve.  One  obstacle 
was  a  general  business  depression  which  made 
employers  averse  to  hiring  new  employees. 

And  all  the  while  his  scanty  funds  were  dim- 
inishing. He  sought  out  cheap  restaurants  and 
limited  his  orders  to  the  barest  necessities,  but 
still  his  money  melted  away  till  at  length  he 
was  reduced  to  fifty  cents.  Besides,  his  week 
was  about  out  and  he  would  be  called  upon  to 
pay  a  second  week's  rent. 

This  was,  of  course,  out  of  the  question. 
Poor  Scott  was  deeply  perplexed.    He  began  to 


The  Young  Salesman.  131 

think  it  would  have  been  better  if  he  had  com- 
plied with  Ezra  Little's  demand  for  the  five- 
dollar  bill.  It  was  about  gone  now,  and  he 
was  without  an  income. 

He  chanced  to  be  passing  the  Gilsey  House 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  he  heard 
his  name  called. 

Looking  up,  he  recognized  the  familiar  face 
@f  Justin  Wood,  whom  he  had  not  met  for 
some  weeks. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  once  more,  Scott,"  said 
the  young  man,  cordially.  "  Why  haven't  you 
called  upon  me?  " 

"  I  did  call  once,  but  I  did  not  find  you  in." 

u  it  must  have  been  when  I  was  making  a 
short  visit  to  Philadelphia.  But  now  come  in, 
and  give  an  account  of  yourself.  How  does  it 
happen  that  you  are  in  the  streets  at  this 
hour?  " 

"  Because,  Mr.  Wood,''  answered  Scott, 
gravely,  "  I  have  lost  my  place." 

"  Then  you  have  a  story  to  tell.  Come  in, 
and  tell  me  all  about  it." 

He  led  the  way  into  the  hotel,  and  Scott 
followed  him  into  the  reading-room. 

"  Now  take  a  seat  at  the  window."  said 
Justin  Wood,  pointing  to  an  armchair,  "  and 
tell  me  why  you  were  discharged  ' 

Scott  told  the  story  in  as  few  words  as 
possible. 

"  This  money  which  Mr.  Little  wished  you 
to  give  up  was  a  part  of  what  you  recovered 


132  The  Young  Salesman. 

from  that  swindler  at  Staten  Island,  I  pre- 
sume? " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  I  could  certify  to  its  belonging  to 
you.    Do  you  wish  me  to  do  so?  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  back  to  Mr.  Little's  if  I 
can  find  another  place.  Besides,  it  will  still 
be  said  that  the  pocket  book  was  found  in  my 
room." 

"  Have  you  any  idea  who  put  it  there?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  it  was  put  there  by  Loammi." 

"  That  is  my  own  conclusion." 

"  But  I  don't  see  how  I  can  bring  it  home 
to  him." 

"  There  will  be  a  difficulty.  If  you  could 
get  evidence  of  his  having  changed  a  five-dol- 
lar bill  about  that  time,  now " 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  can  do  that.  It  happened 
a  week  since." 

"  Where  are  you  living  now?  " 

"  I  have  a  room  on  West  Sixteenth  Street,  at 
the  house  of  a  Mrs.  Mead,  but  I  shall  have  to 
leave  it  to-morrow." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  I  have  no  money  to  pay  the  rent 
for  a  second  week." 

"  How  much  is  it?  " 

"  A  dolku  and  a  half." 

"  I  might  oe  willing  to  lend  you  as  much  as 
that,"  said  Justin  Wood,  smiling. 

"  Thank  you  sir,  but  I  shall  need  money  to 
buy  my  meals  besides." 


The  Young  Salesman.  133 

"  Then  I  think  I  shall  have  to  come  to  your 
assistance." 

Justin  Wood  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket, 
and  drew  out  two  live-dollar  bills. 

"  That  will  tide  you  over  for  the  present/' 
he  said. 

"  But,"  said  Scott,  "  ought  I  accept  so  much? 
I  don't  know  when  I  shall  be  able  to  repay 
you." 

"  Then  we  had  better  consider  it  a  gift." 

"  It  is  hardly  worth  mentioning,"  he  said. 
"  If  it  will  do  you  good  I  am  glad.  Now,  you 
must  come  in  and  take  some  dinner  with  me. 
I  have  eaten  nothing  since  breakfast,  and  am 
almost  famished." 

The  young  man  ordered  a  plain,  but  most 
appetizing  dinner,  to  which  Scott  and  himself 
did  equal  justice.  Scott,  too,  had  eaten  noth- 
ing since  breakfast,  and  that  breakfast  had 
been  a  meager  one. 

After  dinner  the  two  friends  hailed  a  car 
and  went  uptown.  They  spent  an  hour  in 
Central  Park.  Mr.  Wood  proposed  to  walk 
back,  and  Scott  accompanied  him. 

"  Would  you  mind  if  I  called  at  Mr.  Little's 
house?  "  asked  Scott.  "  There  may  be  a  letter 
for  me  from  Cousin  Seth." 

"  Do  so,  by  all  means,  Scott." 

Scott  rang  the  bell,  and  the  door  was  opened 
by  Ellen.  Her  eye  brightened  when  she  saw 
Scott,  whom  she  liked  much  better  than  Lo- 
ammi. 


134  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Scott,"  she  said. 
"And  where  are  you  living,  now?" 

"  I  am  boarding  on  West  Sixteenth  Street." 

"And  have  you  got  another  place?" 

"  Not  yet.  I  suppose  you  heard  why  I  left 
the  house." 

"  Yes,  I  did,  and  it's  a  shame." 

"  Did  you  hear  that  Mrs.  Little's  pocket- 
book  was  found  in  my  room?" 

"  Yes,  I  did,  and  I  know  who  put  it  there." 

"  Who  was  it?  "  asked  Scott,  eagerly. 

"  Only  an  hour  before,  I  myself  saw  Loammi 
coming  out  of  your  chamber.  He  pretended 
that  he  went  there  expecting  to  see  you." 

"  Did  you  tell  Mr.  Little  that?  " 

"  No ;  but  I  will  if  you  want  me  to." 

"  I  may  ask  you  to  do  it  some  time.  Do 
you  think  Loammi  took  the  money?  " 

"  I  do  that.  All  this  week  he's  been  un- 
usually flush  of  cash.  It's  easy  to  guess  where 
it  came  from." 

"  And  I  have  had  to  suffer  for  his  theft.  Oh- 
by  the  way,  Ellen,  has  any  letter  come  here  for 
me?  " 

"  There  was  one  came  this  morning.  I'll  get 
it  for  you." 

Scott  looked  at  the  postmark  of  the  letter, 
and  saw  that  it  was  from  Chicago. 


The  Young  Salesman.  135 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SCOTT  IS  VINDICATED. 

Scott  opened  the  letter,  which  proved  to  be 
brief.  It  was  dated  at  the  Sherman  House, 
Chicago,  and  ran  thus: 

"  I  am  called  away  suddenly  on  business, 
and  may  be  absent  for  a  month.  Should  you 
need  to  consult  me  on  any  subject,  direct  to  me 
here,  as  letters  will  be  forwarded  if  I  am  ab- 
sent from  the  city. 

"  Cousin  Seth. 

Scott  showed  the  letter  to  Mr.  Wood. 

*  I  shall  be  glad  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
Mr.  Lawton,"  said  Justin.  "  He  is  evidently 
a  good  friend  of  yours." 

"  If  he  were  here  now  he  might  get  me  a 
place.    I  don't  stand  much  chance  by  myself." 

"  I  must  see  if  I  can't  find  some  temporary- 
work  for  you  to  do.  Suppose  we  take  an  ice 
cream.  Do  you  know  anv  good  place  near 
by?" 

"  There  is  one  on  Sixth  Avenue.'' 

"  Very  well,  we  will  go  there." 

Scott  led  the  way  to  the  place  already  re- 
ferred to,  frequented  by  his  cousin,  Loammi. 
When  they  entered,  Scott  saw  Loammi  seated 
at  a  table  in  the  rear  part  of  the  saloon. 


136  The  Young  Salesman. 

He  espied  the  new  arrival,  and  was  evidently 
surprised  to  meet  Scott  in  such  a  place. 

"  Hello,  Scott !  "  he  called  out. 

"  Good-evening  Loammi,"  returned  Scott, 
coolly. 

"  Goin'  to  take  an  ice  cream?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  say,  are  you  working  yet?  " 

"  Not  yet."  ' 

^'Then   how   can   you   afford  to   buy   ice 
cream?"  Loammi  was  about  to  ask,  but  the 
presence  of  Justin  Wood  checked  him.     Mr. 
Wood  was  handsomely  dressed,  and  looked  like 
a  man  of  means. 

"  I  wonder  where  Scott  picked  him  up," 
thought  Loammi.  He  wished  to  be  introduced, 
but  Scott  did  not  give  any  encouragement  in 
that  direction. 

Loammi,  having  no  good  excuse  to  stay,  rose 
and  left  the  saloon. 

"  So  that's  your  cousin?"  remarked  Justin 
Wood. 

"  Yes." 

"  He  looks  sly.  I  am  something  of  a  judge 
of  faces,  and  I  don't  like  his." 

"  I  suppose  I  am  prejudiced  against  him," 
said  Scott.  "  I  don't  think  I  could  ever  like 
him." 

Scarcely  had  Loammi  left  the  saloon,  when 
Scott  was  surprised  to  see  Ezra  Little  and  his 
wife  enter. 


The  Young  Salesman.  137 

Mrs.  Little  first  caught  sight  of  Scott,  and 
spoke  in  a  low  tone  to  her  husband. 

Ezra  Little,  turning  his  glance  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Scott,  eyed  him  severely. 

"  So  this  is  where  you  spend  you  ill-gotten 
money,"  he  said,  not  noticing  that  Scott  was  in 
the  company  of  the  fashionably  dressed  young 
man  sitting  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  table. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  Justin  Wood, 
"  but  it  is  my  money  that  is  being  spent." 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  you  were  in  the  boy's 
company,"  said  Ezra  Little,  respectfully,  for  he 
saw  that  Mr.  Wood  was  a  gentleman  of  social 
position.  "  I  must  explain  that  your  compan- 
ion left  my  house  a  week  since  under  discredit- 
able circumstances." 

"  He  told  me  the  circumstances.  You  as- 
sumed that  the  money  he  had  in  his  possession 
was  stolen." 

u  There  can  hardly  be  a  doubt  of  it.  There 
was  a  five-dollar  bill — and  the  missing  pocket- 
book  contained  a  five-dollar  bill." 

"  I  am  personally  cognizant  of  the  fact  that 
the  money  was  his  own.  Indeed,  I  helped  to 
recover  it  for  him  from  a  swindler  who  had 
robbed  him  of  it." 

"  This  does  not  explain  the  pocketbook  being 
found  in  his  chamber." 

"  Where  your  son  put  it." 

"  This  is  a  strange  charge  to  make,  sir. 
Have  you  any  grounds  for  making  it?  " 

"  Scott  and  I  called  at  your  house  this  even- 


138  The  Young  Salesman. 

ing.  The  servant  said  that  an  hour  before  the 
discovery  of  the  pocketbook  your  son  was  seen 
by  her  coming  out  of  Scott's  room." 

Ezra  Little  looked  startled,  and  Mrs.  Little 
looked  distressed. 

"  Moreover,  I  think  if  you  inquire,  you  will 
find  that  some  of  the  stolen  money  was  dis- 
posed of  in  this  saloon.  Your  son  only  went 
out  ten  minutes  since.  Suppose  you  inquire 
whether  he  has  changed  a  five-dollar  bill  here 
recently." 

"  I  will  do  so." 

Ezra  Little  went  up  to  the  cashier. 

"  I  understand,"  he  said,  "  that  my  son 
comes  in  here  frequently." 

"  Yes,  sir,  he  was  here  this  evening." 

"  Can  you  call  to  mind  whether  you  have 
ever  changed  a  five-dollar  bill  for  him?  " 

"  I  did  so  about  a  week  since.  Was  there 
anything  wrong  about  the  bill?  " 

"  I  only  asked  out  of  curiosity." 

Ezra  was  a  hard  man,  but  he  was  not  alto- 
gether unjust. 

"  Scott,"  he  said,  "  I  think  there  may  have 
been  some  mistake  about  your  taking  the 
pocketbook.  If  you  will  call  at  the  store 
tomorrow,  I  will  see  about  taking  you 
back." 

Scott  bowed,  but  did  not  speak.  He  felt 
that  he  could  never  again  be  contented  in  Mr. 
Little's  employment. 

When  they  left  the  saloon  he  asked :  "  What 


The  Young  Salesman.  139 

do  you  advise  ine  to  do  about  going  back,  Mr. 
Wood?" 

"  Don't  go,"  said  Justin  Wood,  promptly. 
"  I  will  stand  by  you,  and  see  if  I  can't  get 
you  something  better." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I  don't  want  to  go  back 
if  I  can  help  it.  But  I  am  glad  my  innocence 
has  been  proved." 

"  I  fancy  your  cousin  will  find  himself  in 
hot  water." 

Loammi  was  already  at  the  house  when  his 
father  and  mother  came  in.  He  had  no  sus- 
picion of  trouble,  but  was  eager  to  tell  his 
father  that  he  had  seen  Scott. 

He  did  not  observe  the  unusual  sternness  on 
Mr.  Little's  face. 

"  Pa,"  he  said,  "  I  saw  Scott  to-night." 

"  Where  did  you  see  him?  " 

"  At  an  ice-cream  saloon  on  Sixth  Avenue. 
His  monev  seems  to  have  lasted  him  pretty 
well." 

"  What  were  you  doing  there? "  was  his 
father's  unexpected  question. 

"  Getting  an  ice  cream,"  answered  Loammi, 
in  surprise. 

"  So  your  money  seems  to  have  lasted  pretty 
well  also,"  said  his  father. 

"  An  ice  cream  costs  only  ten  cents,  pa." 

"  How  many  times  have  you  been  there  with- 
in a  week?  " 

"  Once  or  twice,  I  believe,"  answered  Lo- 


140  The  Young  Salesman. 

ammi,  wondering  what  his  father  meant  by 
his  strict  cross-examination. 

"  Are  you  sure  you  have  not  been  there  every 
evening?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  Have  you  ever  had  a  bill  changed  there?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  pa." 

But  Loammi  began  to  fear  that  he  did  un- 
derstand, and  he  turned  pale. 

"  Where,"  asked  his  father,  sternly,  "  did 
you  get  the  five-dollar  bill  that  you  got  changed 
there  a  week  ago  to-day?  " 

"  I  don't  know  anvthing  about  any  five-dol- 
lar bill." 

Loammi  looked  frightened. 

"  Wasn't  it  the  money  you  found  in  your 
mother's  pocketbook?  " 

"  But  Scott  took  that,  pa.  You  know  the 
pocketbook  was  found  in  his  room." 

"  Yes,  by  you.  You  knew  just  where  to  look 
for  it,  for  you  concealed  it  there." 

"  Oh,  pa,  who  told  you  any  such  wicked  story 
about  me? " 

"  Go  downstairs  and  ask  Ellen  to  come  up 
here." 

Loammi  would  willingly  have  been  excused 
from  doing  this,  but  he  knew  there  was  no 
alternative. 

When  Ellen  appeared,  Mr.  Little  said :  "  Do 
you  remember  the  evening  when  the  pocket- 
book  was  found  in  Master  Scott's  room?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 


The  Young  Salesman.  141 

"  Had  Scott  been  in  his  room  that  evening?  " 

"  I  think  not,  sir." 

"  Had  any  one  else  been  in  the  room?  " 

"  I  saw  Loammi  coming  out  from  the  room 
about  half-past  eight." 

"  Oh,  what  a  story !  "  ejaculated  Loammi,  in 
pertubation. 

"  It  is  true,  sir,"  said  Ellen,  firmly. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it.     That  will  do,  Ellen. 

"Now,  what  have  you  to  say?"  demanded 
Ezra  Little,  addressing  his  son.  "  Did  you  or 
did  you  not  take  the  pocketbook?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Loammi,  reluctantly. 

"  And  you  had  the  meanness  to  throw  sus- 
picion on  your  cousin.  I  am  ashamed  of 
you." 

Loammi  made  no  reply  for  the  very  good 
reason  that  he  had  nothing  to  say. 

"  I  have  myself  seen  Scott  this  evening,  and 
I  also  learned  from  the  keeper  of  the  ice-cream 
saloon  that  you  changed  a  five-dollar  bill  there 
a  week  since.  I  have  told  Scott  to  come  back 
to  the  store.  As  for  you,  you  deserve  to  be 
punished.  I  shall  therefore  reduce  your  allow- 
ance from  a  dollar  a  week  to  fifty  cents  till  the 
sum  you  stole  has  been  made  up.  Now,  you 
can  go  upstairs  to  bed." 

Loammi  shed  tears  of  vexation. 

"  Now  Scott  will  be  crowing  over  me,"  he 
thought  to  himself.  "  I  can't  stand  it ;  I  think 
I  will  run  away." 

But.  he  was  spared  this  humiliation. 


142  The  Young  Salesman. 

Scott  went  into  Mr.  Little's  store  the  next 
day  and  sought  the  proprietor. 

"  You  can  come  back  to  work  on  Monday 
morning,"  said  Ezra,  "  and  you  can  go  round  to 
the  house  this  evening." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  but  I  have  got  another 
place." 

"  Another  place?     Where?" 

"  With  Tower,  Douglas  &  Co." 

Ezra  Little  was  very  much  surprised,  for  the 
firm  mentioned  was  in  the  wholesale  line  and 
stood  very  high. 

"  Mr.  Wood,  the  gentleman  that  was  with  me 
last  evening,  recommended  me." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Mr.  Little,  curtly.  "  You 
will  bear  in  mind  that  I  offered  you  your  posi- 
tion back.  Of  course,  if  you  lose  your  new 
place  I  can  make  no  promises." 

"  Then  I  will  try  not  to  lose  it." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  NEW  PLACE. 

The  house  of  Tower,  Douglas  &  Co.  occupied 
a  very  high  position  in  New  York,  and  was 
known  by  reputation  all  over  the  country. 
The  firm  was  liberal  and  considerate,  and  there 
were  plenty  of  boys  and  young  men  who  sought 
to  enter  their  establishment. 


The  Young  Salesman.  143 

Rich  men  sometimes  offered  the  services  of 
their  sons,  but  Mr.  Tower  was  never  willing  to 
accept  them. 

"  A  boy  who  works  for  nothing,"  he  said, 
"  is  worth  only  what  he  receives.  He  loses  his 
self-respect,  and  has  no  ambition  to  rise." 

Generally,  however,  the  wages  paid  to  be- 
ginners were  small,  not  over  three  or  four  dol- 
lars a  week. 

Of  course  it  was  impossible  for  Scott  to  live 
on  such  pay.  Justin  Wood  was  a  relative  of 
Mrs.  Tower,  and  being  personally  liked  by 
her  husband,  was  the  better  able  to  secure 
favors. 

When  he  obtained  Scott's  engagement  he 
said  :  "  Now  as  to  the  rate  of  compensation,  Mr. 
Tower;  how  much  are  you  willing  to  pay  my 
young  friend?  " 

"  We  usually  pay  three  dollars  a  week.  We 
will  stretch  a  point  and  make  it  four  in  the  case 
of  young  Walton." 

"  I  want  you  to  pay  him  ten  dollars  a  week." 

Mr.  Tower  looked  amazed. 

"  Impossible !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  must 
be  crazy." 

"  The  boy  is  wholly  dependent  on  what  he 
earns." 

"  That  may  be;  but  I  am  under  no  obligation 
to  support  him." 

"  True,"  said  Justin  Wood,  smiling,  "  but 
you  may  charge  the  extra  six  dollars  to  me." 

"-That  will  make  a  difference;  but  suppose 


144  ^ne  Young  Salesman. 

our  other  employees  find  it  out;  then  there  will 
be  dissatisfaction." 

"  Then  let  him  understand  that  he  is  only 
paid  ten  dollars  as  a  special  favor  to  me,  and 
that  the  arrangement  must  be  kept  strictly 
secret." 

"  That  will  do ;  but  suppose  he  does  not  meet 
our  expectations?  " 

"  He  will.  You  need  be  under  no  appre- 
hensions. I  am  something  of  a  judge  of  boys, 
and  I  can  assure  you  that  he  has  a  talent  for 
business." 

"  I  will  take  your  word  for  it  until  I  have  a 
chance  to  judge  for  myself." 

When  Scott  was  informed  that  he  would 
receive  ten  dollars  a  week  he  was  delighted, 
and  thanked  Mr.  Tower  warmly. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  can't  earn  that  sum,  sir,"  he 
said. 

"  I  know  you  can't,"  said  the  merchant,  "  but 
Mr.  Wood  is  a  cousin  of  my  wife,  and  it  is  on 
his  account  that  I  pay  you  so  liberal  a  salary. 
I  expect  you  to  work  zealously  so  that  you  may 
deserve  it." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  I  will." 

Scott  spoke  confidently,  and  Mr.  Tower  was 
pleased  with  his  modest  self-assurance. 

"  I  don't  think  Justin  is  deceived  in  the  boy," 
he  said  to  himself.  At  any  rate,  I  will  give 
him  a  fair  chance." 

Six  months  later,  when  Justin  Wood  called 
and  asked  how  Scott  was  progressing,   Mr. 


The  Young  Salesman.  145 

Tower  said :  "  He  is  a  born  salesman.  He  is 
quick,  shrewd,  intelligent,  and,  above  all,  he 
inspires  confidence  in  customers.  We  will 
hereafter  pay  him  ten  dollars  a  week  on  our 
own  account,  and  will  not  ask  you  to  reim- 
burse us.  But  we  will  not  raise  him  above 
that  till  the  end  of  the  year." 

"  That  is  perfectly  satisfactory.  I  have  only 
one  favor  to  ask." 

"  What  is  that?  " 

"  Send  him  on  the  road  as  soon  as  you  con- 
sider him  competent.  I  think  he  will  make  a 
successful  drummer." 

"  That  is  my  intention.  Some  of  my  sales- 
men can  never  go  outside  the  store.  Young 
Walton  will  make  a  good  record  outside." 

Scott  had  been  with  the  new  firm  for  a 
month,  when  Seth  Lawton  returned  from 
Chicago.  He  was  much  pleased  at  Scott's  suc- 
cess, but  understood  very  well  that  he  was  in- 
debted for  it  to  the  friendly  offices  of  Justin 
Wood. 

"  Do  your  best,  Scott,"  he  said.  "  You  are 
at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  but  you  must  climb. 
Your  future  depends  on  yourself.  Do  you  ever 
see  anything  of  Loammi?  " 

"  I  have  met  him  two  or  three  times.  He 
seems  surprised,  and  I  think  a  little  disap- 
pointed, at  my  success." 

"  Does  he  know  how  much  you  receive?  " 

"  No ;  I  promised  to  keep  that  secret.  But 
he  knows  that  I  live  in  a  comfortable  boarding- 


146  The  Young  Salesman. 

house  on  Lexington  Avenue,  and  have  a  good 
room.  If  he  knew  I  was  paid  ten  dollars  a 
week  he  would  want  to  borrow  money.  His 
father  has  reduced  his  allowance  to  fifty  cents 
a  week,  and  he  complains  that  he  might  as  well 
be  a  newsboy.  '  Don't  you  think  the  old  man 
is  mean?  '  he  asked  me  yesterday?  " 

"  And  what  did  you  reply?  " 

"  I  told  him  that  I  didn't  care  to  criticise  his 
father." 

"  Good !  I  see  you  are  discreet.  What  is 
Ezra  going  to  do  with  his  son?  Will  he  train 
him  up  to  business?  " 

"  Loammi  says  he  is  going  to  Columbia  Col- 
lege, or  perhaps  to  Yale." 

"  He  will  never  get  there.  He  won't  study 
hard  enough." 

"  So  I  think,  Cousin  Seth.  I  wish  I  had 
the  chance." 

"  WTould  you  really  like  to  go  to  college, 
Scott?  "  asked  Seth  Lawton,  thoughtfully. 

"  No,  I  think  not  as  I  am  at  present  situated. 
I  could  not  enter  before  I  am  eighteen,  and  by 
that  time  I  shall  be  well  advanced  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  business." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  but  I  advise  you  to 
study,  and  read  instructive  books  in  your  lei- 
sure hours." 

"  I  am  doing  that,  Cousin  Seth,  and  I  am 
thinking  soon  of  taking  a  commercial  course 
in  some  business  college." 

"  Do  so,  and  I  will  pay  the  bill  for  tuition." 


The  Young  Salesman.  147 

"  I  can  afford  to  pay  that  myself,  cousin. 
You  are  too  generous.  That  is  what  keeps  you 
poor." 

Seth  Lawton  smiled. 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  so  unselffish  as  you  suppose,'5 
he  said.  "  I  make  enough  to  live  comfort- 
ably." 

"  Yes,  Cousin  Seth,  but  you  ought  to  be 
saving  up  money.  You  are  no  longer  a  young 
man." 

"  I  should  think  not,  at  fifty-five." 

"  And  suppose  vou  get  sick,  how  are  you  to 
live?" 

"  Don't  you  think  Ezra  Little  would  take 
care  of  me?  " 

Scott  laughed. 

"  I  am  afraid  not,"  he  answered,  "  but  you 
have  another  relative  who  would  be  glad  to 
help  you." 

"  Meaning  yourself." 

"  Yes." 

"  Good  boy ! "  said  Seth,  and  he  looked 
moved.  "  Yes,  I  think  you  would  be  willing  to 
help  me  if  I  were  in  need,  but  at  present  you 
have  only  enough  for  yourself." 

"  I  am  saving  a  little  money,  cousin." 

"  What !     Out  of  ten  dollars  a  week?  " 

"  Yes.  Ten  dollars  a  week  is  quite  a  liberal 
salary." 

"  You  are  right.  It  will  do  you  no  harm  to 
be  economical.     By  the  way,  has  Ezra  Little 


148  The  Young  Salesman. 

never  returned  to  you  the  forty  dollars  you 
placed  in  his  hands?  " 
»   "No." 

"  You  should  ask  him  for  it." 

"  I  would  rather  not,"  said  Scott,  shrink- 
ing. 

"  But  it  is  rightfully  yours.  He  has  no  ex- 
cuse for  keeping  it." 

"  I  don't  think  I  would  like  to  speak  to  him 
on  the  subject,"  said  Scott,  thoughtfully. 

"  Then  I  will." 

In  fact,  Mr.  Lawton  lost  no  time  in  doing 
as  he  proposed.  He  called  at  Ezra  Little's 
house  and  broached  the  subject. 

"  Ezra,"  he  said,  "  I  understand  that  you 
have  forty  dollars  belonging  to  Scott." 

"  I  don't  look  upon  it  in  that  light,"  said  Mr. 
Little,  coldly.  "  I  gave  the  boy  a  place  in  my 
store." 

"  And  all  you  gave  him  Mas  his  board." 

"  True ;  but  that  was  more  than  he  earned." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you.  It  strikes  me, 
Ezra,  that  it  is  small  business  to  take  the  boy's 
small  capital  and  appropriate  it  to  your  own 
use." 

Ezra  Little  looked  incensed. 

"  Mr.  Lawton,"  he  said,  "  it  strikes  me  that 
your  interference  is  impertinent." 

"  On  the  contrary,  as  Scott  has  no  one  else 
to  speak  up  for  him,  I  consider  that,  as  his 
near  relative,  it  is  my  duty  to  do  it." 

"  If  you  had  attended  to  your  own  affairs, 


The  Young  Salesman.  149 

instead  of  meddling  with  others,  you  would  not 
be  in  danger  of  going  to  the  poor  house,  as  you 
are  at  present." 

"Am  I?"  asked  Seth,  looking  amused. 
"  You  seem  to  know  a  good  deal  about  my 
affairs." 

"  I  don't  suppose  you  have  a  hundred  dol- 
lars in  the  world.  If  you  should  be  in  need, 
you  mustn't  expect  me  to  help  you." 

"  I  shall  not.  You  are  pretty  safe  on  that 
score,  Ezra." 

"  I  see  you  are  poor  and  proud.  However, 
I  am  glad  to  hear  it." 

"  Then  suppose  we  return  to  Scott's  money. 
Are  you  prepared  to  give  it  back?  " 

"  No,  I  am  not." 

"  I  don't  think  it  will  do  you  any  good. 
Bobbing  the  orphan " 

"  Mr.  Lawton,  I  will  not  submit  to  such  in- 
sinuations. If  Scott  should  lose  his  position, 
as  he  is  likely  to  do  if  he  is  guided  by  your 
advice,  I  will  help  him  out  of  the  money  in  my 
hands." 

"  Very  well;  I  will  hold  you  to  that.  How- 
ever, I  don't  think  he  is  likely  to  be  placed  in 
that  predicament." 

"  How  much  does  he  receive  from  Tower, 
Douglas  &  Co.?" 

"  More  than  you  paid  him.  However,  I  will 
not  occupy  any  more  of  your  time.  If  you  be- 
come ashamed  of  your  meanness,  you  can  let 
me  know." 


150  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Seth  Lawton,  I  won't  stand  any  more  of 
your  impertinence.  You  appear  to  forget  who 
I  am." 

"  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  who  and  what 
you  are,  Ezra.     Good-evening !  " 

"  The  beggar !  "  soliloquized  the  merchant. 
"  He  need  never  expect  any  favors  from  me. 
He  will  yet  repent  his  impertinence." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  POOR  INVENTOR. 

Had  Scott  spent  all  his  salary  he  could  not 
have  been  charged  with  extravagance,  for  ten 
dollars  a  week  in  a  large  city  melts  away,  but 
he  made  it  a  matter  of  principle  to  save  two 
dollars  weekly.  So  at  the  end  of  a  year  he  had 
one  hundred  dollars,  and  was  fairly  well 
clothed. 

It  was  on  the  last  day  of  the  year  that  he 
received  a  summons  to  the  office. 

He  answered  it  with  some  little  trepidation, 
for  it  was  possible  that  the  firm  had  decided 
to  dispense  with  his  services. 

"  Take  a  seat,  Scott,"  said  Mr.  Tower, 
pleasantly,  when  he  entered  the  office.  "  I  be- 
lieve you  have  been  with  us  for  a  year." 

"  Yes,  sir." 


The  Young  Salesman.  151 

"  We  are  quite  satisfied  with  you.  You  have 
shown  ability  as  a  salesman,  and  have  taken  an 
intelligent  interest  in  the  business.  For  this 
reason  we  are  disposed  to  promote  you." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Scott,  much  gratified. 

"  Though  you  are  unusually  young,  we  are 
disposed  to  try  you  on  the  road.  How  would 
you  like  that?  " 

"  I  should  like  nothing  better." 

"  Your  compensation,  if  you  are  successful, 
would  be  considerably  greater  than  you  are 
now  paid.  How  much,  will  depend  on  your 
success." 

"  I  should  be  quite  content  with  that  ar- 
rangement, sir." 

"  We  shall  start  you  out  probably  within  a 
week.  One  of  our  salesmen  is  sick,  and  we 
shall  put  you  on  his  route.  You  will  go  to 
Cleveland  and  intermediate  places.  You  will 
receive  your  instructions  in  due  time." 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

Scott  left  the  office  much  elated.  He  knew 
that  there  was  no  drummer  employed  by  the 
firm  less  than  twenty-three  years  of  age,  while 
he  was  barely  eighteen.  He  resolved  to  sue-' 
ceed  if  success  were  possible,  for  he  felt  that 
this  would  give  him  an  important  position  and 
an  excellent  income. 

"  How  fortunate  I  did  not  stay  with  Cousin 
Ezra,"  he  thought.  "  If  I  had,  probably  I 
should  not  be  receiving  more  than  six  dollars 
a  week  now." 


152  The  Young  Salesman. 

Scott,  as  has  already  been  said,  boarded  on 
Lexington  Avenue.  He  occupied  a  small  room, 
and  paid  but  five  dollars  a  week,  but  those  who 
occupied  the  larger  rooms  paid  in  proportion 
to  the  accommodation  enjoyed. 

In  the  room  just  opposite  to  his  lived  a  man 
of  about  forty,  whom  Scott  had  met  more  than 
once  on  the  stairs,  but  did  not  feel  well  ac- 
quainted with. 

Just  after  supper  he  was  preparing  to  go 
out,  when  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door. 

Opening  it,  he  found  that  the  caller  was  his 
opposite  neighbor.  He  was  looking  pale  and 
depressed. 

"  Can  you  lend  me  a  few  matches? "  he 
asked. 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  Babcock ;  won't  you  step  in 
and  sit  down?  "  said  Scott,  cordially. 

The  visitor  hesitated,  then  said,  slowly :  "  I 
will  do  so,  but  I  shall  not  be  very  good  com- 
pany." 

"  I  am  glad  of  the  chance  of  making  your 
acquaintance,"  said  Scott.  "  I  have  only  seen 
you  on  the  stairs  heretofore." 

"  I  don't  think  you  will  see  much  more  of 
me,"  said  the  visitor,  soberly. 

"Why  not?  Are  you  intending  to  move 
away?  " 

"  It  is  not  exactly  a  matter  of  choice,"  said 
Babcock. 

Scott  could  guess  why,  for  his  visitor  was 
very  poorly  clad.     His  suit  was  frayed  and 


The  Young  Salesman.  153 

rusty,  and  there  were  unmistakable  marks  of 
poverty  about  his  whole  appearance. 

Scott  felt  delicate  about  speaking  of  this. 
He  contented  himself  with  saying :  "  I  am 
sorry  to  hear  it." 

"  The  fact  is,"  went  on  Babcock,  with  a  sigh, 
"  I  am  a  failure,  and  have  just  begun  to 
realize  it." 

"  If  you  wouldn't  mind  telling  me  about  it," 
said  Scott,  gently,  "  I  can  at  least  sympathize 
with  you." 

"  Sympathy  will  be  welcome.  It  is  long 
since  I  have  had  any." 

He  paused,  and  presently  continued : 

"  You  must  know  that  I  am  an  inventor.  I 
need  say  no  more  to  satisfy  you  that  I  am  a 
visionary  and  unpractical  man." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  There  have  been 
many  successful  inventors." 

"  And  I  might  be  one  but  for  one  unfortu- 
nate circumstance." 

"  What  is  that,  sir?  " 

"  I  have  used  up  all  my  money,  and  though 
the  invention  is  perfected,  I  am  unable  to  reap 
the  benefit  of  it." 

"  Would  you  mind  telling  me  the  nature  of 
your  invention?  " 

"  It  is  a  window  fastener.  You  may  think 
it  a  trifle,  but  it  is  the  small  inventions  which 
from  their  nature  come  into  common  use,  and 
thus  pay  the  best." 


154  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  can  understand  that.  How  long  have 
you  been  at  work  on  your  invention?  " 

"  A  year.  I  had  a  little  money  when  I  be- 
gan, and  it  has  supported  me  while  I  was  at 
work.  Now  that  the  invention  is  perfected,  I 
am  without  funds.  I  may  as  well  be  plain, 
and  say  that  I  cannot  pay  my  next  week's 
board." 

"  Couldn't  you  get  some  man  with  money  to 
help  you?" 

"  It  is  what  I  have  been  hoping  for.  In 
fact,  I  called  yesterday  on  a  prominent  mer- 
chant, and  laid  the  matter  before  him." 

"  Who  was  it,  Mr.  Babcock?  " 

"  Ezra  Little." 

Scott  looked  surprised. 

"  He  is  a  relative  of  mine,"  he  said.  "  How 
did  he  treat  you?  " 

"  He  listened  to  what  I  had  to  say,  and 
promised  to  write  to  me.  He  did  so.  Shall  I 
show  you  the  letter?  " 

"  If  you  are  willing." 

The  inventor  drew  from  his  pocket  a  type- 
written letter,  and  showed  it  to  Scott.  It  ran 
thus: 

"  Mr.  Henry  Babcock. 

"  Dear  Sir  :  I  have  thought  over  the  small 
invention  you  showed  me  yesterday.  I  doubt 
if  there  is  any  money  in  it,  but  as  I  presume 
you  are  in  want,  I  will  give  you  thirty-five  dol- 
lars for  it.     I  can  stand  the  small  loss,  and  it 


The  Young  Salesman.  155 

will  tide  you  over  till  you  can  get  a  position 
that  will  support  you.  Yours  truly. 

"  Ezra  Little." 

"  Mr.  Little  is  not  very  liberal,"  said  Scott, 
smiling. 

"  No,"  answered  the  inventor,  bitterly. 
"  Think  of  the  year's  labor  I  have  spent  upon 
it,  and  the  prospect  before  me  if  I  accept  this 
paltry  sum.  With  economy  it  would  last 
me  a  month,  and  then  what  would  become  of 
me?" 

"  True,  but  there  are  other  men  besides  Mr. 
Little,  who  might  perhaps  deal  with  you  more 
generously." 

"  You  are  right,  but  I  don't  think  you  under- 
stand my  position.  My  available  funds  are  re- 
duced to  two  dollars.  Sometimes  in  my  des- 
peration I  have  thought  I  would  go  down  to 
Brooklyn  Bridge,  and  end  it  all.  I  think  I 
should  have  done  so  but  for  one  thing." 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Scott,  beginning  to 
show  a  strong  personal  interest  in  his  un- 
fortunate visitor. 

"  I  have  a  little  daughter — four  years  old. 
I  must  live  for  her." 

"  Yes,  you  must  live  for  her,  and  yourself, 
too.     You  may  yet  be  successful." 

"  Do  you  perhaps  know  of  some  capitalist?  " 
asked  the  inventor,  eagerly. 

"  I  know  of  a  gentleman  who  is  well  supplied 
with  money,  and  I  will  lay  the  matter  before 


156  The  Young  Salesman. 

him.  Meanwhile,  as  you  need  money,  accept 
this  loan." 

Scott  drew  from  his  pocket  two-five  dollar 
bills  and  tendered  them  to  Mr.  Babcock. 

"  You  have  given  me  new  life  and  new  hope," 
said  the  inventor,  his  pale  face  brightening. 
"  Who  is  the  gentleman?  " 

"  A  Mr.  Wood — Justin  Wood.  He  lives  at 
the  Gilsey  House,  and  he  has  been  very  kind  to 
me.  In  fact,  I  owe  the  position  I  hold  to 
him." 

"  Is  he — a  practical  man?  Would  he  see  the 
possibilities  of  my  invention?  " 

"  I  can't  say,  but  out  of  regard  to  me  he 
wrould  give  it  consideration." 

"When  can  we  see  him?  Excuse  my  im- 
patience, but  you  can  understand  how  much 
it  means  to  me." 

"  I  do,  Mr.  Babcock,  and  I  will  therefore  go 
with  you  to  his  hotel  this  very  evening,  though 
we  may  possibly  not  find  him  in." 

"  If  you  will  be  so  kind,  I  will  get  ready  at 
once." 

In  five  minutes  they  were  on  their  way  to  the 
Gilsey  House. 


The  Young  Salesman.  157 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

BZRA  LITTLES  DISAPPOINTMENT. 

Arrived  at  the  Gilsey  House,  Scott  went  into 
the  reading-rooin,  thinking  he  might  find  Mr. 
Wood  there.     But  he  failed  to  see  him. 

"  Whom  are  you  loking  for?  "  asked  Edward 
Stripling,  the  telephone  boy,  who  occupied  one 
corner  of  the  room. 

"  Mr.  Wood." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  the  one  he  wanted  to  see. 
He  told  me  to  tell  any  one  inquiring,  that  he 
would  be  back  in  fifteen  minutes." 

"  Then  we  shan't  have  to  wait  long,  Mr. 
Babcock." 

The  inventor  took  up  a  paper  from  the 
table,  but  he  was  so  nervous  that  he  could  not 
concentrate  his  attention  upon  it. 

Ten  minutes  later  Justin  WTood  entered  the 
room. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Scott,"  was  his  cordial 
greeting. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Wood.  I  come  on  busi- 
ness.    Let  me  introduce  Mr.  Babcock." 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Babcock,"  said  Wood, 
courteously. 

"  Could  we  go  up  to  your  room?  We  won't 
keep  you  long." 


158  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Certainly.     Follow  me." 

Mr.  Wood  bad  a  front  room  on  the  third 
floor — a  pleasant  apartment,  for  which  he  paid 
a  high  rent. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Wood,"  began  Scott,  "  I  am 
going  to  ask  your  attention  for  ten  minutes." 

"  I  will  give  you  fifteen,  if  necessary."  said 
Wood,  smiling. 

Thereupon  Scott  told  the  story  of  the  in- 
ventor, to  which  Justin  Wood  listened  atten- 
tively. 

"  Have  you  a  model  of  your  invention  ?  "  he 
asked,  turning  to  Babcock. 

"  Here  it  is,  sir." 

The  young  man  asked  various  questions," 
which  Babcock  answered  satisfactorily. 

"  I  think  well  of  your  invention,"  said  Mr. 
Wood,  in  conclusion.  "  Now,  what  do  you 
want  me  to  do?  " 

Scott  answered. 

"  Mr.  Babcock  has  exhausted  all  his  means 
and  is  penniless,"  he  said.  "  The  invention  is 
perfected,  but  he  is  not  in  a  position  to  put  it 
before  the  public.  He  has,  to  be  sure,  received 
offers  of  assistance  from  a  gentleman  whom  we 
both  know." 

"  To  whom  do  you  refer?  " 

"  Ezra  Little." 

"  Indeed!  Is  that  liberal  gentleman  willing 
to  help  him?" 

"  He  offers  me  thirty-five  dollars  for  the  in- 
vention,"  said   Babcock,   bitterly.     "  I  have 


The  Young  Salesman.  159 

spent  a  whole  year  in  perfecting  it,  and  this  is 
to  be  my  compensation." 

"  I  think  you  had  better  not  trouble  Mr. 
Little,"  observed  Justin,  quietly.  "  How  much 
money  do  you  need  to  put  it  before  the 
public?  " 

"  If  I  had  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars," 
said  the  inventor,  hesitatingly,  "  I  think  I 
could  manage.  I  would  be  willing  to  sell  a 
one-half  interest  for  that  sum." 

"  That  would  not  be  enough,"  said  Wood, 
decidedly. 

"  With  it  I  should  stand  some  chance  of 
success." 

"  I  will  tell  you  what  I  will  do.  I  will  give 
you  five  hundred  dollars  for  one-third  interest, 
on  condition  that  you  work  zealously  to  make 
it  a  success." 

"  Oh,  sir,  you  are  too  generous,"  said  Bab- 
cock,  with  emotion.  "  With  that  money  I  see 
my  way  clear." 

"  What  would  be  your  plan  ?  " 

"  I  can  make  arrangements  with  a  respon- 
sible party  to  manufacture  it,  and  will  myself 
travel  and  put  it  before  the  public." 

"  I  will  risk  it." 

"  I  am  sure,  sir,  that  you  will  get  your  money 
back  several  times  over." 

"  I  hope  so.  I  am  not  buying  it  for  myself, 
but  for  a  friend  of  mine." 

Scott  looked  at  him  inquiringly. 

"  The  friend  is  Scott  Walton,"  he  said,  smil- 


160  The  Young  Salesman. 

ing.  "  Should  it  pay,  I  shall  deduct  the  five 
hundred  dollars  from  the  first  money  received 
in  the  way  of  profit,  and  then  make  over  the 
whole  investment  to  you,  Scott.  I  hope  it 
may  make  you  rich." 

"How  can  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Wood?"  said 
Scott,  gratefully. 

"  Wait  till  you  see  whether  you  have  any- 
thing to  be  grateful  for." 

"  There  is  no  doubt  about  that,"  said  the  in- 
ventor, confidently.  "  You  will  excuse  me  for 
saying,  Mr.  Wood,  that  I  shall  work  even 
harder  for  my  young  friend  Walton  than  I 
would  for  you." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  wish.  I  am  already 
rich,  while  Scott  has  his  fortune  yet  to  make." 

"  I  will  help  him  to  make  it." 

"  Come  around  to-morrow,  Mr.  Babcock,  at 
ten  o'clock,  and  I  will  have  the  money  ready. 
We  will  also  have  papers  regularly  drawn  up, 
so  that  Scott's  share  of  the  investment  may  be 
secured  to  him.  And  now,  I  shall  have  to  bid 
you  good-evening,  as  I  have  an  engagement 
with  a  friend  at  the  Union  League  Club." 

The  two  went  out. 

The  inventor  was  fairly  radiant. 

"  Mr.  Walton,"  he  said,  "  you  don't  know 
what  you  have  done  for  me.  You  have  given 
me  a  new  lease  of  life.  WThen  I  came  to  your 
room  to-night  I  was  in  a  mood  that  might  have 
led  me  to  throw  myself  from  the  Brooklyn 
Bridge.     Mr.  Little's  cold-blooded  letter  had 


The  Young  Salesman.  161 

much  to  do  with  bringing  on  that  mood.  I  felt 
that  there  was  no  hope  for  me.'* 

"  And  now?  " 

"  Now  I  have  hope — and  confidence.  I  have 
a  presentiment  of  success.  I  shall  make  my- 
self rich  and  you  also." 

"  I  hope  your  presentiment  will  prove 
prophetic,"  said  Scott,  smiling.  "  I  can  assure 
you  that  a  fortune  will  be  welcome.  At  pres- 
ent I  have  only  accumulated  one  hundred  dol- 
lars." 

"  That's  not  bad  for  a  young  man  of  your 
age." 

"  Say  a  bov.  I  am  not  ashamed  of  being  a 
boy."  * 

"  Remember  I  am  speaking  of  my  partner. 
I  must  speak  of  him  with  respect." 

"  Did  I  tell  you  I  was  going  to  leave  the  city 
for  a  time?  " 

"  No.  Why  is  it?  You  have  not  lost  your 
place,  I  hope." 

"  No,  I  am  going  to  travel  for  the  firm.  If  I 
am  lucky  I  shall  soon  earn  an  excellent  in- 
come." 

"  You  are  sure  to  do  that." 

"  How  can  you  tell  that  I  will  succeed?  " 

"  I  was  not  referring  to  your  regular  posi- 
tion. I  was  thinking  of  your  interest  in  my 
invention." 

"  You  are  confident,  then,  of  success?  " 

"  I  am  quite  confident  of  it." 

"  I  hope  you  are  right ;  mostly,  however,  on 


162  The  Young  Salesman. 

your  account,  for  I  think  my  future  is  tolerably 
secure." 

"  I  see  you  have  no  idea  of  the  value  of  your 
interest  in  my  enterprise." 

"  I  shall  not  think  seriously  of  it,  but  I  will 
welcome  any  good  that  may  come  to  me  from 
it." 

"  My  life  will  be  changed,"  said  Babcock. 
"  I  shall  at  once  send  for  my  little  Molly." 

"  Is  that  your  little  daughter?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Where  is  she  now?  " 

"  In  the  country.  Now,  I  shall  feel  justified 
in  bringing  her  to  the  city.  She  is  a  sweet 
little  girl." 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  be  happier  for  having 
her  with  you." 

"  Yes,  you  may  well  say  that." 

"  By  the  way,  have  you  answered  Ezra 
Little's  letter?  " 

"  No;  I  shall  answer  it  in  person  to-morrow, 
after  I  have  concluded  arrangements  with  your 
friend." 

About  two  o'clock  the  next  day,  the  inventor 
took  his  way  to  Ezra  Little's  dry-goods  store 
on  Eighth  Avenue.  He  sent  in  his  name  and 
was  admitted. 

He  was  a  welcome  visitor,  for  Mr.  Little, 
who  was  a  practical  man,  had  a  fair  conception 
of  the  value  of  his  invention,  and  meant  to 
make  a  fortune  out  of  it — for  himself.  As  for 
the  poor  inventor,  he  cared  little  for  him. 


The  Young  Salesman.  163 

Henry  Babcock  entered  the  merchant's  pres- 
ence, and  was  bidden  to  take  a  seat. 

"  I  received  a  letter  from  you,  Mr.  Little,"  he 
said. 

"  Yes.  I  offered  you  thirty-five  dollars  for 
your  invention." 

"  That  seems  to  me  very  small." 

"  Probably  it  is  more  than  I  shall  make  out 
of  it,  but  you  seemed  to  be  in  need,  and  I  am 
willing  to  help  you." 

"  Don't  you  think,  however,  you  could  let 
me  have  more?  Thirty-five  dollars  would  not 
support  me  a  month." 

"  It  would  give  you  time  to  look  for  a 
place." 

"  But,  Mr.  Little,  think  of  the  time  I  have 
spent — and  the  money !  " 

"  That  does  not  concern  me,"  said  the  mer- 
chant, coldly. 

"  I  think  I  shall  have  to  decline  your  offer." 

"  That  is  foolish.  However,  I  will  strain  a 
point,  and  give  you  fifty  dollars." 

Henry  Babcock  shook  his  head. 

"  Mr.  Little,"  he  said,  triumphantly,  "  I  have 
sold  a  one-third  interest  in  my  invention  for 
five  hundred  dollars." 

Ezra  Little  looked  amazed  and  disappointed. 
It  was  a  chance  of  his  life  lost. 

"  What  fool  gave  you  that  sum  ?  "  he  asked, 
roughly. 

"  A  Mr.  Wood,  to  whom  your  cousin,  Scott 
Walton,  introduced  me." 


164  The  Young  Salesman. 

"Why  didn't  you  tell  me  that  at  first?" 
snarled  Ezra  Little.  "  Wood  must  have  been 
a  fool  to  be  influenced  by  that  boy.  Good- 
morning  !  " 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

LOAM  MI  HEARS  GOOD  NEWS. 

On  the  Monday  succeeding,  Scott  started  on 
his  trip  with  a  supply  of  samples  and  full  in- 
structions. His  route  extended  as  far  as 
Cleveland,  including  Albany  and  the  principal 
towns  in  New  York  State,  besides  some  in 
Ohio. 

He  traveled  slowly,  having  been  told  to  make 
a  thorough  canvass  of  the  places  he  visited. 

He  was  everywhere  well  received.  His 
bright,  pleasant  manner  made  friends,  and 
though  sometimes  his  youth  proved  at  first  an 
obstacle,  in  a  short  time  he  won  the  confidence 
of  customers.  It  became  clear  that  he  under- 
stood his  business. 

"  You  are  rather  young  to  represent  such  a 
large  firm  as  Tower,  Douglas  &  Co.,"  said  a 
careful  Scotch  merchant  in  Syracuse. 

"  I  think  so  myself,"  answered  Scott,  good- 
humoredly. 

"  Have  they  any  other  drummers  as  young?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so.  In  fact,  I  know  they 
have  not." 


The  Young  Salesman.  165 

"  How  did  they  eome  to  make  an  exception 
in  your  case?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  unless  it  was  out  of  kind- 
ness." 

"  Then  you  don't  think  it  was  because  you 
were  extra  smart?"  asked  the  merchant, 
pointedly. 

"  Time  will  show  whether  I  am  or  not,"  said 
Scott,  smiling. 

"  Well,  I  will  ask  you  a  few  questions,  and 
then  I  can  judge  for  myself." 

Scott  answered  these  questions  freely  and 
intelligently.  He  seemed  to  understand  the 
different  qualities  of  the  goods  he  carried,  and 
would  not  allow  himself  to  make  any  claims 
for  them  that  could  not  be  substantiated.  As 
a  result,  Mr.  Cameron  bought  a  large  order. 

"  I  begin  to  understand  why  you  were  se- 
lected," he  said. 

"  I  hope  you  think  the  firm  was  justified." 

"  I  do.  You  understand  your  business,  and 
you  make  no  misrepresentations." 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

"  If  ever  you  leave  your  present  place  I  will 
give  you  a  position." 

"  Thank  you  still  more.  I  will  remember 
it." 

At  Elmira,  Scott  received  the  following  in  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Douglas,  the  junior  partner: 
"  You  are  doing  finely.  You  are  beating  the 
record." 

This    pleased    Scott.      He    did    not    know 


i66  The  Young  Salesman. 

whether  he  had  done  as  well  as  was  antici- 
pated, but  this  reassured  him. 

Two  days  after  Scott  started  on  his  mission, 
Loammi  entered  the  store  on  a  visit  instigated 
by  curiosity.  It  was  partly  also  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  his  father,  wTho  thought  through 
Scott's  influence  he  might  redeem  his  error  and 
obtain  an  interest  in  the  invention,  which  he 
believed  would  be  very  profitable. 

Entering  the  store,  Loammi  looked  about 
him,  and  finally  spoke  to  a  young  man  near  the 
door. 

"  Is  a  boy  named  Scott  Walton  employed 
here?"  he  asked. 

The  clerk  addressed  was  a  friend  of  Scott, 
and  guessed  who  it  was  that  was  inquiring 
about  him.  He  was  tempted  to  play  a  joke  on 
Loammi. 

"  There  was  a  clerk  here  by  that  name,"  he 
answered,  slowly. 

"  Isn't  he  here  now?  " 

"  He  left  us  two  or  three  days  since." 

"  Has  he  got  another  place?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

Loammi  brightened  up.  It  seemed  too  good 
news  to  be  true.  His  despised  cousin  had  been 
discharged. 

Loammi  could  not  have  heard  anything  that 
would  have  pleased  him  more. 

"  Do  you  know  why  he  was  discharged?  "  he 
asked,  eagerly. 


The  Young  Salesman.  167 

"  No,  I  don't,"  answered  the  other,  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye.     "  Do  you  know  him?  " 

"  Yes;  he  is  a  distant  relation  of  mine." 

"  Then  perhaps  you  can  judge  better  than  I 
why  he  did  not  give  satisfaction." 

"  I  am  not  at  all  surprised.  He  was  too 
fresh.     That  was  the  matter  with  him." 

"  Dear  me !     How  unfortunate !  " 

"  Yes ;  he'll  never  stay  long  anywhere.  Pa 
had  him  in  his  store  for  a  while — Ezra  Little's 
store,  Eighth  Avenue — but  he  was  obliged  to 
send  him  away." 

"  And  are  you  Mr.  Little's  son?  "  asked  the 
young  clerk,  with  mock  deference. 

"  Yes ;  I  am  his  onlv  son,"  answered  Loammi, 
loftily. 

"  Dear  me !  I  am  proud  to  know  you.  And 
I  suppose  you  will  some  time  own  the  store?  " 

"  Probably,  though  I  am  not  sure  but  I  may 
become  a  lawyer.  Do  you  know  where  Walton 
lives?  " 

"  No.  There  are  so  many  in  the  store  that  I 
know  the  residences  of  very  few." 

Loammi  took  his  departure  in  a  very  com- 
placent frame  of  mind.  He  had  always  been 
jealous  of  Scott,  and  the  intelligence  that  he 
had  lost  his  place  was  very  agreeable  to  him. 

It  so  happened  that  on  Broadway  he  met 
Seth  Lawton,  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  a 
good  while.  Under  ordinary  circumstances 
he  would  have  taken  no  notice  of  him,  but  now 
he  had  an  object  in  speaking  to  him. 


168  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  Lawton,"  he  said,  con- 
descendingly. 

"  Oh,  good-morning,  Loaniini,"  rejoined  the 
old  man,  who  was  short-sighted,  when  he 
realized  who  it  was  that  had  addressed  him. 

"  Where  do  you  think  I  have  been?  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  cannot  tell." 

"  I  have  been  to  the  store  of  Tower,  Douglas 
&  Co.,  to  call  upon  Scott." 

"  Indeed !     That  was  very  kind  of  you." 

"  And  you  can  imagine  my  surprise  to  find 
that  he  had  been  discharged." 

"Is  it  possible?"  ejaculated  Seth,  who  at 
once  guessed  how  Loammi  had  been  misled. 

"  Yes." 

"  That  is  a  great  pity.  Perhaps  your  father 
will  take  him  back  into  his  store." 

"  I  don't  think  he  will.  If  he  don't  do  for 
Tower,  Douglas  &  Co.,  he  won't  do  for  pa." 

"  But  the  poor  boy  must  live." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  Loammi,  carelessly,,  "  he 
can  get  a  chance  to  sell  papers  or — black 
boots." 

"  Surely  your  father  would  not  allow  his 
young  cousin  to  sink  to  that  employment." 

"  Pa  wouldn't  interfere.  I  have  heard  him 
say  that  he  has  washed  his  hands  of  Scott.  If 
he  had  behaved  himself  it  would  have  been 
different." 

"  Poor  boy !  I  must  see  what  I  can  do  for 
him." 

"  You'd  better  not.  Cousin  Seth.     You  are  a 


The  Young  Salesman.  169 

poor  man,  and  it  will  be  all  you  can  do  to  look 
after  yourself." 

"  Still,  Loammi,  consider  Scott's  position." 

"  He  must  look  out  for  himself.  I  advise 
you  not  to  call  round  and  ask  pa  to  take  him 
back." 

"  I  must  think  what  I  can  do  for  him." 

"  The  old  man  feels  pretty  bad,"  thought 
Loammi.  "  Well,  they  are  a  good  match.  For 
my  part  I  don't  think  much  of  poor  relations." 

Loammi  hurried  home  to  impart  the  wel- 
come news  to  his  father. 

"What  do  you  think,  pa?"  he  burst  out. 
"  Scott's  lost  his  position." 

"Is  this  true,  Loammi?"  asked  his  father, 
in  some  surprise. 

"  Yes,  pa ;  I  went  to  the  store  this  morning, 
and  one  of  the  clerks  told  me." 

"  Do  you  know  what  was  the  matter?  " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  he  was  too  fresh.  Now,  I 
suppose,  he  will  be  trying  to  come  back  to 
you." 

"  I  might  agree  to  take  him  if  he  would  come 
back  on  the  old  terms." 

"  You  don't  mean  it,  pa !  After  he  has  lost 
his  place,  too !  " 

"  Oh,  well,  I  could  look  after  him.  He  would 
be  worth  his  board." 

"  One  thing,  he  couldn't  put  on  any  airs 
after  his  disgrace.  By  the  way,  I  met  Mr. 
Lawton  on  Broadway." 

"  Cousin  Seth?" 


1 70  The  Young  Salesman. 

"Yes." 

"  Did  he  have  anything  to  say  about  Scott's 
discharge?  " 

"  He  didn't  appear  to  know  anything  about 
it  till  I  told  him." 

"  Do  you  know  where  Scott  boards?  " 

"  No." 

"Oh,  well,  he  will  probably  be  coming 
around  to  see  me  after  a  while.  I  should  like 
to  have  him,  as  I  want  to  get  at  that  inventor 
through  him." 

"  Do  you  thiDk  there's  money  in  it,  pa?  " 

"As  I  should  manage  it  there  might  be," 
said  his  father,  cautiously. 

Mr.  Little  looked  for  Scott  from  day  to  day, 
but  three  weeks  passed  and  he  heard  nothing 
from  him. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

AT  NIAGARA  PALLS. 

On  his  way  back  from  Cleveland,  Scott, 
having  the  necessary  leisure,  stopped  a  couple 
of  days  at  Niagara  Falls.  He  registered  his 
name  at  the  Clinton  House,  on  the  Canada 
side. 

He  lost  no  time  in  visiting  the  objects  of 
interest  connected  with  the  falls,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  first  day  sat  on  the  piazza,  with 
the  falls  in  sight. 


The  Young  Salesman.  171 

A  blond-bearded  young  man  of  perhaps 
twenty-five,  evidently  an  Englishman,  sat  near 
by.  He  looked  at  Scott  once  or  twice,  as  if 
tempted  to  speak,  but  a  certain  reticence 
characteristic  of  his  countrymen  appeared  to 
prevent. 

Scott  observed  this,  and  make  a  remark  by 
way  of  opening  a  conversation. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  young  man,  "  you  are 
right.  The  falls  are  grand.  You  Americans 
ought  to  be  very  proud  of  them." 

"  But,"  said  Scott,  smiling,  "  I  am  not  an 
American." 

The  Englishman  looked  surprised,  for  Scott, 
though  he  had  only  been  in  America  a  year, 
had  come  to  resemble  the  people  among  whom 
he  had  cast  his  lot. 

"  What,  then,  are  you?  "  inquired  his  new 
acquaintance,  looking  puzzled. 

"  I  was  born  in  England." 

"  Indeed !  "  said  the  other.  "  Then  we  are 
countrymen." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  it,"  said  Scott,  court- 
eously. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  America,  if  I 
may  ask?" 

"  A  little  more  than  a  year." 

"  And  do  you  live  in  Canada?  " 

"  No,  I  live  in  New  York." 

"  You  are  not — in  business?  "  queried  the 
Englishman,  noticing  his  youthful  appear- 
ance. 


172  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Ob,  yes,  I  am  employed  by  a  New  York 
firm." 

"  But  how  do  you  happen — excuse  my  ask- 
ing— to  be  here?  But  perhaps  it  is  your  vaca- 
tion." 

"  No,  I  am  traveling  for  the  firm.  I  am  a 
traveling  salesman  for  the  house  of  Tower, 
Douglas  &  Co." 

"  That  is  a  large  firm,  I  have  heard." 

"  One  of  the  largest  in  New  York." 

"  I  confess  I  am  puzzled.  You  occupy  such 
a  responsible  position,  and  yet  you  are  so 
young." 

"  I  believe  my  case  is  exceptional.  I  am  the 
youngest  traveler  for  our  house." 

"  I  rejoice  in  your  success,  since  you  are  an 
English  boy.     May  I  ask  your  name?  " 

Scott  handed  his  new  acquaintance  a  card 
like  this : 


SCOTT   WALTON 

Representing 

Tower,  Douglas  &  Co. 

NEW  YORK 


"  Thank  you,"  said  the  other. 

He  took  from  his  pocket  a  card,  from  which 
Scott  learned  that  he  was  Lord  Cecil  Grant, 
Earl  of  Windermere. 

"  I  am  honored  in  making  your  acquaint- 


The  Young  Salesman.  173 

anee,"  said  Scott.  "  May  I  say  that  you  seem 
young  to  be  an  earl?  I  fancied  all  earls  were 
at  least  fifty  years  of  age." 

"  I  wish  that  I  had  waited  till  fifty  for  my 
title,"  said  the  young  Englishman,  gravely; 
"  but  my  poor  father  died  suddenly,  six  months 
ago,  and  partly  to  dissipate  my  grief  I  came  to 
America." 

"  Have  you  been  here  long,  my  lord?  "  asked 
Scott,  not  knowing  exactly  how  to  address  his 
distinguished  companion. 

"  Never  mind  the  title,"  said  the  earl,  smil- 
ing. "  It  comes  awkwardly  to  an  American  to 
use  it,  and  you  are  already  half  an  American." 

"  What  shall  I  call  you,  then?  " 

"  You  may  call  me  Mr.  Grant,  if  you  like. 
If  you  come  to  know  me  better,  you  may  call 
me  Cecil.  I  shall  take  the  liberty,  since  you 
are  a  boy,  to  call  you  Scott." 

As  he  spoke  there  was  a  winning  smile  upon 
his  face,  and  Scott  felt  that  he  should  like 
him. 

"  I  will  try  to  forget  that  you  are  an  earl," 
he  said,  "  and  then  I  shall  feel  more  at  home 
with  you." 

"  What  do  you  say  to  a  walk,  Scott?  The 
evening  is  too  fine  to  spend  here." 

"  I  shall  be  delighted." 

He  put  on  his  hat,  and  the  two  sauntered  off 
together.  They  were  both  good  walkers,  and 
had  covered  several  miles  before  they  returned 
to  the  hotel. 


174  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  wish  I  bad  met  you  before,  Scott,"  said 
the  earl,  familiarly.  "  Won't  you  tell  me  some- 
thing about  yourself,  and  your  history?  I  am 
sure  you  have  one." 

Almost  before  he  knew  it,  Scott  had  told  the 
story  already  familiar  to  the  reader.  The  earl 
listened  with  evident  interest. 

"  Really,"  he  said,  "  it  is  worthy  of  telling 
in  book  form.     That  uncle  of  yours " 

"  My  mother's  cousin,"  corrected  Scott. 

"  No  matter.  We  will  say  relative.  He 
must  certainly  be  a  mean,  disagreeable  fellow, 
don't  you  know,  and  as  to  your  cousin  with  the 
peculiar  name " 

"  Loammi." 

"  Yes,  I  never  heard  the  name  before.  Well, 
he  must  be  a  cad." 

"  I  think  he  is,"  said  Scott,  smiling ;  "  but  I 
assure  you  he  considers  himself  infinitely 
above  me." 

"  I  shall  not  ask  you  for  an  introduction." 

"  He  would  like  nothing  better  than  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  you,  Mr.  Grant." 

"  You  compliment  me.  Well,  here  we  are  at 
the  hotel.  What  are  your  plans  for  to-mor- 
row? I  hope  you  do  not  leave  in  the  morn- 
ing? " 

"  No ;  I  shall  spend  another  day  here." 

"  Why  not  spend  it  together?  " 

"  I  should  like  nothing  better,"  said  Scott, 
sincerely. 

"  Then  we  will  do  so.     I  will  secure  a  car- 


The  Young  Salesman.  175 

riage  in  the  morning,  and  we  will  make  a  day 
of  it." 

He  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  Scott  had  a 
delightful  time.  He  almost  succeeded  in  for- 
getting his  companion's  rank,  and  found  him 
a  congenial  companion. 

Just  after  supper,  when  the  earl  had  gone 
up  to  his  room,  a  pretentious-looking  man  of 
middle  age,  who  seemed  to  be  continually  try- 
ing to  assert  his  claim  to  superiority,  came  up 
to  Scott. 

"  Boy,"  he  said,  "  I  understand  there  is  an 
English  earl  staying  at  the  hotel?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     It  is  the  Earl  of  Windermere." 

"  Have  you  seen  him?  Could  you  point  him 
out  to  me?  " 

"  He  has  gone  up  to  his  room,  but  will 
probably  be  back  almost  immediately." 

"  How  shall  I  know  him?  " 

"  He  will  come  up  and  speak  to  me,  and  then 
we  shall  probably  go  out  to  walk  together." 

"  Are  you  a  friend  of  the  earl?  "  asked  Mr. 
Burton,  in  surprise. 

"  I  think  I  may  call  myself  so.  We  have 
been  together  all  day." 

Mr.  Burton  regarded  Scott  with  new  respect. 
He  had  uncermoniously  called  him  "  boy,"  but 
it  was  before  he  knew  that  he  was  a  friend  of 
an  earl. 

"  Would  you  kindly  introduce  me? "  he 
asked,  eagerly. 

"  I  am  not  quite  sure  whether  he  would  be 
willing,"  returned  Scott,  with  hesitation. 


176  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Would  you  mind  asking  him?  " 

"  If  you  will  let  me  know  your  name,  sir." 

"  I  am  Nathan  Burton,  of  Albany.  I  have 
been  an  alderman,"  said  the  other,  consequen- 
tially. 

"  I  hope  you  may  yet  be  mayor,"  answered 
Scott,  amused. 

"  Stranger  things  have  happened,"  rejoined 
Mr.  Burton,  complacently.  "  Did  you  come 
over  with  the  earl?  " 

"  A  year  earlier,"  returned  Scott,  gravely. 

From  this  Mr.  Barton  inferred  that  they  had 
been  friends  on  the  other  side. 

"  And  your  name  is " 

"  Scott  Walton." 

"  An  aristocratic  name ! "  thought  the 
Albany  alderman.  "  Are  you  related  to  the 
earl?  " 

"  No,  sir.    We  are  only  friends." 

At  this  moment  the  earl  entered  the  room, 
and  at  once  went  up  to  Scott. 

"  Are  you  ready  for  a  walk,  Scott?  "  he  said, 
familiarly. 

"  Yes,  but  first "     And  here  in  a  low 

voice  Scott  communicated  Mr.  Burton's  re- 
quest. 

The  earl  looked  around  at  the  alderman  and 
seemed  amused. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said,  smiling. 

At  a  signal,  Mr.  Burton  approached. 

"  My  lord,"  said  Scott,  formally,  "  allow  me 
to  present  Mr.  Alderman  Burton,  of  Albany." 


The  Young  Salesman.  177 

Mr.  Burton  bowed  profoundly. 

"  I  am  glad  to  become  acquainted  with  a 
representative  American,"  said  the  earl,  in  a 
dignified  voice,  quite  different  from  his  tone  in 
talking  with  Scott. 

"  My  lord  earl,  I  feel  very  much  honored  to 
make  your  acquaintance,"  said  Mr.  Burton, 
with  another  profound  bow. 

"  I  believe  you  Americans  have  no  titles," 
said  the  earl. 

"  No,  my  lord ;  but  I  should  be  in  favor  of 
having  them." 

"  In  that  case,  you  might  become  Earl  of 
Albany." 

"  You  do  me  proud,  indeed  you  do,  my  lord," 
said  the  gratified  alderman. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  leave  you  so  soon,  but  my 
young  friend  and  I  propose  to  have  a  walk." 

"  Don't  let  me  detain  you,  my  lord.  If  I 
might  dare  to  ask  one  favor " 

"What  is  it,  sir?" 

"If  you  would  favor  me  with  your  card." 

With  a  smile,  the  earl  produced  the  coveted 
bit  of  pasteboard  and  handed  it  to  the  alder- 
man. 

When  they  were  fairly  out  of  the  hotel,  both 
laughed  merrily. 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  be  as  respectful  as  Mr. 
Alderman  Burton?"  asked  Scott. 

"  No,  be  yourself,  Scott.  That  will  suit  me 
better." 


1/8  The  Young  Salesman. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

AN  ADVENTURE. 

Scott  intended  to  start  on  his  homeward 
journey  the  next  morning,  but  an  hour  before 
he  was  to  leave  he  received  a  telegram  to  the 
following  effect : 

"  Wait  for  letter.  Tower." 

Scott  understood  at  once  that  the  letter 
would  contain  instructions  from  the  firm,  and 
therefore  informed  the  earl  that  he  would  re- 
main a  day  longer. 

"  That  will  suit  me  admirably,"  said  the  earl. 
"  If  you  are  at  leisure,  we  will  take  a  long 
drive." 

"  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  till  I  receive  my 
letter,"  answered  Scott. 

"  Then  you  can  join  me?  " 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so." 

It  turned  out  that  the  earl  wished  to  ride 
across  the  country  to  a  point  some  twenty 
miles  distant.  What  the  attraction  was  it  is 
not  necessary  here  to  state.  Probably  the  trip 
was  undertaken  chiefly  for  the  drive. 

At  the  end  of  twenty  miles  a  village  was 
reached,  which  contained  a  passable  hotel. 
Here  the  two  tourists  dined,  and  did  not  leave 
on  their  return  till  about  six  o'clock. 


The  Young  Salesman.  179 

"  We  shall  be  rather  late,"  said  the  earl. 
"  Still,  our  horse  is  a  good  oue,  and  we  ought 
to  reach  the  hotel  in  two  hours,  or  litle  more." 

"  That  won't  be  very  late." 

"  Then  we  can  stop  on  the  way  somewhere." 

When  the  travelers  had  proceeded  half  a 
dozen  miles  on  their  way,  the  horse  suddenly 
showed  signs  of  lameness.  What  had  occa- 
sioned it  neither  could  tell,  but  as  he  appeared 
to  be  in  pain,  it  was  decided,  upon  consulta- 
tion, to  stop  at  the  next  house  and  make  ar- 
rangements to  pass  the  night.  It  would  be 
easy  to  start  again  on  the  following  morning 
with  the  horse  they  had,  or,  if  necessary,  a 
substitute.  Neither  felt  in  haste,  and  the  time 
lost  would  not  be  serious. 

The  next  house  proved  to  be  situated  on  the 
edge  of  the  woods.  It  occupied  a  lonely  loca- 
tion, and  seemed  in  rather  a  dilapidated  state. 
Everything  about  it  bore  an  aspect  of  neglect. 

Scott  jumped  from  the  carriage,  and  went 
to  the  door. 

It  was  opened,  after  he  had  knocked  two 
or  three  times,  by  a  careworn  woman  of 
middle  age.  Her  face  was  lined,  and  she  wore 
a  look  of  depression  and  discouragement. 

"  What's  your  will?  "  she  asked. 

"  Our  horse  has  fallen  lame,  and  we  would 
like  to  stop  here  overnight,  and  let  the  horse 
rest.     I  see  you  have  a  barn." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  woman,  slowly. 
"  We  don't  keep  a  hotel." 


180  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  am  quite  aware  of  that,  and  we  must 
apologize  for  intruding.  We  shall  give  you 
some  trouble,  but  we  are  willing  to  pay  for  it. 
If  five  dollars  will  compensate  you  we  will  be 
glad  to  pay  that  sum  for  supper,  lodging  and 
breakfast  for  ourselves,  and  accommodation 
for  our  horse." 

The  woman  seemed  surprised  by  the  liber- 
ality of  the  offer.  In  such  a  household  five 
dollars  was  a  good  deal  of  money. 

"  You  can  come  in,"  she  said,  "  and  I  will 
get  you  some  supper.  My  man  will  soon  be 
home,  and  if  he  is  willing  you  can  stay  all 
night." 

"  I  hope  he  will  soon  be  back,  as  we  would 
like  to  know  what  to  depend  upon." 

"  He'll  be  here  in  an  hour,  likely." 

"  May  we  put  the  horse  in  the  barn?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  can  do  it  yourself.  There  ain't 
no  men  folks  'round." 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  will  attend  to  it." 

"  I'll  go  right  to  work  getting  supper.  I've 
got  some  eggs  and  bacon  in  the  house,  if  that 
will  do  you." 

"  That  will  do  very  well,  I  think.  You  can 
give  us  some  tea,  too,  I  presume?  " 

"  Yes,  or  you  can  have  some  whisky.  My 
man  always  wants  some." 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  think  we  should  prefer 
tea." 

"  That's  just  as  you  like.     I  have  tea  for 


The  Young  Salesman.  181 

myself.  My  man  won't  drink  it.  He  says  it's 
only  fit  for  women." 

"  Consider  us  women,  then,"  said  Scott, 
laughing.  "  I  will  go  and  tell  my  friend  that 
you  will  receive  us." 

"  If  my  man  agrees." 

"  That  is  understood." 

"  What  is  your  friend's  name?  " 

"  Mr.  Grant,"  answered  Scott,  knowing  that 
the  earl  would  not  care  to  have  his  rank  known 
in  such  a  place.  It  might  have  led  to  ex- 
travagant terms  for  the  accommodation  ren- 
dered, and  Scott  considered  that  he  had  al- 
ready offered  liberal  compensation. 

He  communicated  to  the  earl  the  result  of  his 
mission. 

"  Do  you  think  we  shall  get  decent  fare?  " 
the  earl  inquired. 

"  I  think  so,  but  we  may  have  to  rough  it  a 
little.     It  won't  be  equal  to  our  hotel." 

"  Oh,  well,  it  will  be  an  adventure.  I  have 
roughed  it  before." 

"  I  thought  earls  always  fared  luxuriously," 
said  Scott,  smiling. 

"  Earls,  as  well  as  other  men,  are  subject  to 
circumstances,  and  can  rough  it,  if  necessary. 
Some  time  I  will  tell  you  how  I  fared  in  Italy 
last  winter.  I  confess  that  my  appetite  has 
been  sharpened,  and  I  am  exceedingly  hungry." 

"  So  am  I.  We  are  to  have  bacon  and  eggs. 
I  hope  vou  have  no  prejudice  against  such  a 
dish." 


182  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  No,  it  is  a  favorite  with  me.  My  only  ap- 
prehension is,  that  they  won't  have  enough  to 
satisfy  me." 

In  the  barn  the  visitors  found  stalls  for  two 
horses,  both  of  them  unoccupied.  They  un- 
harnessed their  horse,  or  rather  Scott  did,  for 
the  earl,  who  had  always  had  this  work  done 
for  him,  seemed  awkward  and  inexperienced. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  put  all  the  work  upon  you, 
Scott,"  he  said. 

"  Never  mind.     It  is  no  trouble." 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  my 
awkwardness." 

"  I  can  easily  understand  that  you  never  had 
to  do  it.  In  England,  father  for  a  time  kept  a 
horse,  and  I  had  the  care  of  him." 

When  the  horse  was  safely  stalled,  Scott  and 
the  earl  came  out  into  the  yard. 

"  Shall  we  go  into  the  house?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  No,  we  might  be  in  the  way.  Here  is  a 
fence  rail.     We  can  sit  upon  that." 

"  You  are  making  yourself  very  democratic," 
Scott  said. 

"  Why  should  I  not  be?  " 

"  Our  new  acquaintance,  Mr.  Alderman  Bur- 
ton, would  be  surprised  to  see  you  sitting  on  a 
fence  rail." 

"  I  shouldn't  do  it  before  him.  I  should 
keep  up  my  dignity,  or  he  might  be  shocked." 

"  What  do  you  think  he  asked  me  last  even- 
ing, when  vou  were  out  of  the  room?  " 

"What  was  it?" 


The  Young  Salesman.  183 

"  He  asked  me  if  you  ever  dined  with  the 
queen?  " 

"  What  did  you  answer?  " 

"  Only  when  you  were  invited." 

"  Quite  correct.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  don't 
think  I  ever  was  honored  by  such  an  invita- 
tion, or,  as  we  consider  it,  a  command." 

"  He  also  asked  me  to  inquire  of  you  whether 
the  queen  wore  her  crown  at  the  dinner-table." 

"  Poor  old  lady ;  I  should  pity  her  if  she  were 
obliged  to  do  so." 

Half  an  hour  later  the  woman  came  to  the 
door,  and  looking  toward  them,   called  out: 

"  Supper's  ready." 

"  And  so  am  I,"  said  the  earl,  in  a  low  voice. 
"  I  hope  our  hostess  has  made  a  liberal  pro- 
vision for  us." 

On  entering  the  kitchen,  where  the  table  was 
spread,  they  found  she  had  done  so.  A  dozen 
eggs,  flanked  by  several  slices  of  bacon,  were 
on  a  dish  in  the  center,  and  there  was  an  ample 
supply  of  butter  and  corn  bread. 

An  expression  of  profound  satisfaction  lit 
up  the  faces  of  the  two  travelers. 

"  Thank  you,  madam,  for  kindly  complying 
with  our  request.  We  appreciate  it  the  more 
because  we  know  you  do  not  keep  a  hotel." 

"  I  hope  you'll  like  it,"  replied  the  woman. 
"  I  misremember  what  the  boy  said  your  name 
was." 

"  Mr.  Grant,"  said  Scott. 

"  Is  he  your  brother?  " 


184  The  Young  Salesman. 

"No;  my  name  is  Walton." 

"  Be  you  in  any  business,  Mr.  Grant?  "  asked 
the  woman,  who  began  to  show  curiosity. 

"  No,  madam,  not  at  present.  I  am  an  Eng- 
lishman. Possibly  my  friend  and  I  might  buy 
out  a  store  in  Buffalo." 

Scott  could  scarcely  forbear  smiling.  It 
seemed  a  great  joke  to  him  to  think  of  going 
into  a  business  partnership  with  an  earl. 

They  ate  supper  with  evident  enjoyment. 
They  had  about  concluded  it,  when  a  heavy 
step  was  heard  outside. 

"  That  is  my  man,"  said  the  woman,  nerv- 
ously. 

Scott  and  the  earl  looked  up  with  curiosity 
to  see  him  enter. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

RED    RALPH. 

The  man  who  entered  was  of  medium  height, 
thickset,  and  his  hair  and  beard  were  red. 
His  face  was  far  from  prepossessing. 

He  looked  at  the  visitors,  and  then  at  his 
wife,  inquiringly. 

"  So  you  have  company?  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,  Ralph,"  answered  the  woman,  rather 
nervously.  "  I  told  them  we  didn't  keep  a 
hotel,  but  they  offered  me  five  dollars  to  take 
care  of  them  and  the  horse  till  morning." 


The  Young  Salesman.  185 

The  man's  face  lost  its  scowl.  The  sum 
offered  made  an  impression. 

"  You  did  right/'  he  said.  "  I  am  willing  to 
accomodate.    Where's  the  horse?  " 

"  We  put  him  in  the  barn." 

"  All  right.  And  where  may  you  be  from?  " 
he  asked,  addressing  the  earl. 

"  I  am  an  Englishman." 

"Are  you  in  any  business?" 

"  Not  at  present." 

"  But  you  have  money?  " 

This  remark  was  accompanied  by  a  look  of 
keen  curiosity. 

"  I  have  some,"  answered  the  earl,  cau- 
tiously. 

"  He  is  going  to  buy  out  a  store  in  Buffalo,''* 
put  in  the  woman. 

"  WTiat  sort  of  a  store?  " 

"  I  haven't  decided  yet,"  replied  the  earl, 
who  did  not  choose  to  take  the  man  into  his 
confidence. 

"  It  takes  a  power  of  money  to  buy  a  store." 

"  It  depends  on  the  nature  of  the  business,  I 
should  think." 

"  About  how  much  do  you  mean  to  invest?  " 

"  Really,  the  fellow  is  getting  impertinent," 
thought  his  guest. 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  answer  that  question," 
he  answered. 

Their  host  took  from  a  shelf  a  dirty  clay 
pipe,  filled  it  with  tobacco,  and  began  to  smoke. 
The  fumes  were  far  from  pleasant,  and  the 


1 86  The  Young  Salesman. 

earl,  rising  from  his  chair,  signaled  to  Scott 
to  go  outside  with  him. 

"  Where  are  you  going? "  asked  the  red- 
haired  man. 

"  We  are  going  to  take  a  walk." 

"  Has  he  paid  you  the  five  dollars?  "  asked 
the  man,  addressing  his  wife. 

"  No." 

"  Then  you  may  as  well  hand  it  over,"  said 
the  host. 

"  Certainly,  if  you  wish  it  now." 

"  That  is  safest.  You  might  take  your  horse 
and  give  us  the  slip.  Then  we'd  be  so  much 
out." 

"  What  do  you  take  us  for?  "  demanded  the 
earl,  indignantly. 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  you.  You 
may  be  gentlemen,  or " 

"  This  will  settle  the  question,"  and  the 
earl  took  out  his  wallet,  and  from  a  thick  roll 
of  bills  picked  out  a  five-dollar  note,  and 
handed  it  to  the  woman. 

"  Give  it  here,  Sarah,"  said  her  husband, 
sharply.     "  I  take  charge  of  the  money." 

With  meek  obedience  she  passed  the  bill  to 
him. 

He  scrutinized  it  closely,  but  the  result  of 
his  inspection  seemed  to  be  favorable,  and  he 
put  it  away  in  his  vest  pocket. 

Scott  noticed  that  he  had  regarded  the  roll 
©f  bills  with  a  covetous  glance,  and  he  felt 


The  Young  Salesman.  187 

that  the  earl  had  been  imprudent  in  making 
such  a  display  of  his  money. 

"  It's  all  right,"  their  host  said,  slowly. 
"  You're  an  honest  man.    You  pay  your  bills." 

The  earl  smiled,  and  opening  the  outer  door, 
went  out,  followed  by  Scott. 

"What  do  you  think  of  our  host,  Scott?" 
he  asked. 

"  I  distrust  him,  Mr.  Grant.  I  am  sorry  you 
showed  him  that  roll  of  bills." 

"  It  may  have  been  imprudent,  but  I  don't 
think  there  is  any  danger  of  his  attempting 
to  rob  me." 

"  He  was  curious  to  learn  your  business.  I 
wonder  what  his  is." 

"  To-morrow  we  shall  leave  the  house,  and 
we  are  never  likely  to  meet  him  again,"  said  the 
earl,  indifferently.  "  So  it  is  hardly  worth 
thinking  about." 

They  strolled  along  in  a  leisurely  way,  and 
sat  down  under  a  tree,  about  a  mile  distant 
from  their  home.  Under  the  same  tree  re- 
clined a  young  man  who  looked  like  a  farmer 
or  farmer's  assistant. 

"  Good-evening,"  said  the  earl,  courteously. 

"  Good-evening,  sir." 

"  Do  you  live  hereabouts?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  working  for  my  uncle,  who  owns 
a  farm  not  far  from  here.  You  are  a  stranger, 
are  you  not?  " 

"  Yes,  my  friend  and  myself  are  staying  at 
Niagara.     We  were  taking  a  long  drive,  but 


1 88  The  Young  Salesman. 

the  horse  went  lame,  and  we  engaged  lodgings 
for  the  night  about  a  mile  from  here." 

"  At  what  house?  "  asked  the  young  man. 

"  I  will  tell  you,  and  you  can  perhaps  tell 
me  something  of  the  man  who  occupies  it." 

The  young  man  listened  to  the  description, 
and  when  it  was  finished  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders. 

"  I  shouldn't  care  to  be  in  your  place,"  he 
said. 

"  Why  not?  " 

"  Red  Ralp  doesn't  have  a  very  good  repu- 
tation," he  explained. 

"  Is  that  what  he  is  called?  " 

"  Yes.  You  noticed  his  profusion  of  red 
hair.  His  real  name  is  Moody,  I  believe,  but 
everybody  calls  him  Eed  Ralph." 

"  How  long  has  he  lived  in  this  neighbor- 
hood?" 

"  About  three  years." 

"  What  is  his  business,  or,  rather,  how  does 
he  make  his  living?  " 

"  That  is  hard  to  tell.  I  believe  he  trades 
in  horses  to  some  extent." 

"  Is  nothing  known  of  his  history  before  he 
came  here?  " 

"  It  is  reported  that  he  has  been  in  jail.  A 
man  who  saw  him  here  said  that  he  was  quite 
confident  he  had  seen  him  in  a  visit  to  Joliet 
prison." 

"  Is  his  life  reputable?  Has  he  ever  been  in 
any  trouble  since  he  came  here?  " 

"  Nothing  has  been  proved  against  him,  but 


The  Young  Salesman.  189 

more  than  one  rough-looking  man  has  been 
seen  in  his  house." 

"  Decidedly,  Scott,"  said  the  earl,  "  we  have 
not  been  fortunate  in  our  selection  of  a  lodg- 
ing house.    However,  it  is  only  for  one  night." 

"  Have  you  much  money  with  you?"  asked 
their  new  acquaintance. 

"  A  tolerably  large  sum,"  answered  the  earl. 

"  Then.  I  advise  you  to  bolt  your  door 
when  you  retire." 

"  I  shall  do  so.  Without  knowing  anything 
of  our  worthy  host,  I  had  formed  an  unfavor- 
able opinion  of  him  before  I  spoke  with  you." 

"  He  will  bear  watching,"  said  the  young 
man,  briefly. 

"  What  could  have  been  his  object  in  es- 
tablishing himself  here?  If  he  is  a  rogue,  I 
don't  see  what  opportunities  he  has  of  practic- 
ing dishonesty." 

"  Bear  in  mind  that  his  house  is  not  many 
miles  from  the  border.  If  he  committed  a 
robbery  in  the  States,  he  could  easily  take 
refuge  in  his  Canadian  home,  where  he  would 
be  safe  from  arrest." 

"  There  is  something  in  that." 

"  If  you  don't  care  to  remain  in  his  house 
overnight,  I  think  I  could  insure  you  a  wel- 
come from  my  uncle,  who  lives  not  far  away." 

"Thank  you,  but  it  would  be  awkward  to 
make  a  change  at  this  late  hour.  Besides, 
what  explanation  could  we  give?  " 


T9o             The  Young  Salesman. 
"  Still,  if  you  distrust  him " 


"  There  is  another  consideration.  We  have 
paid  in  advance,"  suggested  Scott. 

"  I  should  not  mind  forfeiting  five  dollars," 
said  the  earl.  "There  is  one  thing  I  should 
mind  more." 

"  What  is  that?  " 

"  To  leave  now  would  be  a  confession  of 
cowardice.  We  ought — the  two  of  us — to  be  a 
match  for  Ked  Ralph." 

"  I  will  do  my  share,"  said  Scott,  smiling. 

"  Yes,  you  look  like  a  brave  boy."  Then, 
turning  to  the  young  man,  "  I  thank  you  for 
your  kind  offer,  but  I  think  we  will  stay  with 
Red  Ralph  for  this  one  night." 

Already  it  was  getting  dark,  and  the  air  was 
chill. 

"  Let  us  go  back,  Scott,"  said  the  earl.  "  It 
is  not  very  late,  but  I  feel  sleepy,  and  I  think 
I  shall  retire  early." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

It  was  not  quite  nine  o'clock  when  they 
entered  the  farmhouse.  There  was  a  fire  of 
logs  in  the  fireplace,  and  before  it,  with  his 
legs  stretched  out,  sat  Red  Ralph.  But  he  was 
not  alone. 

A  man  of  dark  complexion  sat  opposite  him. 
He  was  tall  and  swarthy,  and,  though  differ- 
ing in  appearance,  seemed  a  fitting  companion 
for  Red  Ralph.  Both1  had  pipes  in  their 
mouths,  and  the  room  was  pervaded  by  the 
fumes  of  bad  tobacco. 


The  Young  Salesman.  191 

"  Well,  stranger,  you  took  a  long  walk," 
said  Red  Ralph,  turning  in  his  chair. 

"  We  sat  down  under  a  tree  to  rest,"  re- 
sponded the  earl.    "  Can  we  have  a  candle?  " 

The  woman  got  up  from  her  chair  at  the 
back  of  the  room  and  lighted  one. 

"  Come  with  me,"  she  said,  "  and  I  will  show 
you  your  chamber." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

ON  WATCH. 

Therb  was  nothing  especially  noticeable 
about  the  chamber  into  which  Scott  and  the 
earl  were  ushered.  It  was  a  corner  apart- 
ment, and  had  two  windows  on  different  sides 
of  the  room. 

There  was  a  double  bed,  a  washstand,  a  small 
table,  and  two  chairs,  besides  a  plain  pine 
bureau.  There  was  no  carpet  on  the  floor,  but 
beside  the  bed  was  a  cheap  rug. 

"  Will  this  do  you?  "  asked  the  woman,  as 
she  set  the  candle  on  the  table. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  earl,  after  a  compre- 
hensive glance  around  the  room. 

"  We  don't  keep  a  hotel.    If  we  did " 

"  My  good  lady,  make  no  apologies.  We  are 
obliged  to  you  for  taking  us  in." 

"  I  hope  you'll  sleep  well,"  said  the  woman, 
with  her  hand  on  the  latch. 

"  We  generally  do,"  replied  the  earl. 


192  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Ah  !  "  she  said,  and  there  seemed  something 
significant  in  her  tone. 

She  opened  the  door  and  went  downstairs, 
leaving  the  two  travelers  alone. 

"  This  isn't  very  luxurious,  Mr.  Grant,"  re- 
marked Scott. 

"  No." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  used  to  a  luxurious 
house?  " 

"  When  I  am  at  home — yes ;  but  I  have 
knocked  about  the  world  so  much  that  I  can 
stand  a  little  discomfort.    How  is  the  bed?" 

He  felt  of  the  mattress,  and  found  that  it  was 
of  straw.  Had  there  been  a  feather  bed  over 
it  there  would  have  been  greater  comfort. 

"  Only  a  straw  bed,"  he  said.  "  This  is, 
certainly,  Spartan  simplicity.  I  don't  think 
Red  Ralph  would  be  a  success  as  an  innkeeper." 

"  I  think  I  can  sleep,  Mr.  Grant,"  rejoined 
Scott.    "  I  feel  quite  tired." 

"  Is  there  a  lock  on  the  door?  " 

Scott  went  forward  to  examine. 

"  Yes,"  he  reported,  "  there  is  a  lock,  but  no 
key." 

"Is  there  a  bolt?" 

«  No." 

"  I  wonder,"  said  the  earl,  thoughtfully, 
"  whether  the  key  has  been  lost  or  intentionally 
removed?  " 

"  We  might  ask  for  a  key." 

"  No.  That  would  make  it  evident  that  we 
.were  distrustful.    Besides,  it  may  be  that  the 


The  Young  Salesman.  193 

people  below  are  not  aware  that  there  is  no 
means  of  locking  them  out.  On  the  whole,  we 
will  not  call  attention  to  our  defenseless  condi- 
tion." 

While  they  were  talking,  a  step  was  heard  on 
the  stairs — a  heavy  step,  too  heavy  for  the 
woman.    Then  came  a  knock  at    the  door. 

Scott  opened  it. 

There  stood  Red  Ralph,  holding  in  his  hand 
a  pitcher  and  glass. 

"  I  have  brought  you  a  nightcap,"  he  said. 
"  I  had  my  wife  mix  some  whisky  and  water. 
It  is  good  for  the  stomack  I  drink  some  every 
night  before  I  go  to  bed." 

"  Thank  you,"  returned  the  earl,  politely. 
"  You  are  very  considerate." 

He  took  the  pitcher  and  set  it  down  on  the 
table.  Red  Ralph  lingered  a  moment,  and  his 
eyes  wandered  about  the  apartment. 

There  was  nothing  to  see,  however,  as  the 
travelers  had  brought  no  luggage  with  them, 
not  expecting  to  be  detained  overnight. 

"  I  hope  that  you  will  be  comfortable,"  he 
said. 

"  Thank  you." 

"  Do  you  sleep  sound?  " 

"  Generally.     Do  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  never  wake  from  the  time  I  strike 
the  bed.    At  what  hour  shall  I  wake  you?  " 

"  At  seven." 

"  Good !  I  will  tell  the  wife  to  have  break* 
fast  at  half-past  seveit." 


194  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  By  the  way,  may  I  trouble  you  to  look  after 
my  horse?  I  meant  to  go  out  to  the  barn  be- 
fore I  retired." 

"  I  will  look  after  him.  I  am  used  to  horses. 
I  am  a  horse  trader." 

"  Thank  you.    Good-night." 

"  Good-night." 

"  Our  friend  is  unusually  attentive,"  said 
the  earl,  with  a  glance  at  the  pitcher. 

"Yes;  perhaps  we  have  misjudged  him." 

"  Perhaps,  but  I  am  not  sure.  Scott,  will 
you  hold  the  candle?  " 

He  took  the  pitcher  and  peered  into  it  at- 
tentively, rather  to  Scott's  surprise.  Then  he 
poured  out  a  small  quantity,  and  tasted  it. 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me  from  drinking, 
Mr.  Grant,"  said  Scott.  "  I  promised  my 
father  I  would  never  drink  whisky." 

"  Even  if  you  did  indulge,  I  should  not  ad- 
vise you  to  drink  any  of  this." 

"Why  not?    Is  it  of  poor  quality?" 

"  I  am  quite  confident  that  it  is  drugged.  It 
has  a  peculiar  taste,  and  I  detect  minute  par- 
ticles of  some  foreign  substance  which  has  been 
mixed  with  it." 

"  Poison?  "  asked  Scott,  looking  startled. 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that.  It  is  only  a  sleeping 
potion.  Our  friend  had  an  object  in  asking 
if  we  slept  sound.    He  means  that  we  shall." 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  the  whisky  has  been 
tampered  with,  Mr.  Grant?  " 

"  I  am  reasonably  sure  of  it." 


The  Young  Salesman.  195 

"  Then  of  course  we  won't  drink  it." 

"  Certainly  not,  but  we  will  appear  to  have 
clone  so.    Open  the  window." 

The  earl  poured  out  a  glass  of  the  whisky 
and  emptied  it  out  of  the  window.  He  filled 
the  glass  a  second  time,  and  again  emptied  it. 

"  That  is  better  than  to  have  swallowed  it," 
he  said.  "  I  Avill  leave  a  small  portion  in  the 
pitcher  to  disarm  suspicion." 

"  What  do  you  think  Red  Ralph  intends  to 
do?  "  asked  Scott,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  think  he  intends  to  make  us  a  visit  dur- 
ing the  night.  As  there  is  no  way  of  locking 
the  door,  that  will  be  very  easily  managed. 
Had  we  drunk  the  whisky,  we  should  have 
slept  so  profoundly  that  Ralph  could  have 
ransacked  the  room  without  interference." 

"  Have  you  a  pistol,  Mr.  Grant?  " 

"  Yes,  but  I  might  as  well  be  without  one. 
I  have  no  means  of  loading  it." 

"  What,  then,  do  you  propose  to  do?  " 

"  That  is  not  easy  to  decide." 

"  Can  we  secure  the  door  in  any  way?" 

"  I  can  think  of  no  way." 

"  We  might  put  the  bureau  against  it." 

"  Yes;  I  will  consider  whether  that  is  best. 
It  interposes  only  a  temporary  obstacle.  Then 
Ralph  and  his  companion  may  be  armed,  while 
we  are  not.  The  two  would  be  more  than  a 
match  for  us." 

"  I  suppose  they  would  be  satisfied  if  you 
would  give  up  your  money." 


196  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Probably,  but  though  the  loss  of  the  money 
would  not  seriously  embarrass  me — it  is  only 
five  hundred  dollars — I  decidedly  object  to 
being  robbed  of  it.  By  the  way,  have  you  a 
newspaper  with  you?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Grant.    Here  it  is." 

The  earl  took  the  paper,  and  carefully  tore  it 
into  strips  about  the  size  of  a  bank-bill.  Then 
he  removed  the  bank-bills  from  his  wallet,  put 
them  in  an  inside  pocket  in  his  vest,  and  re- 
placed them  with  strips  of  newspaper. 

"  It  is  a  good  plan  to  oppose  roguery  with 
artifice,"  he  said.  "  Possibly  this  will  help  to 
circumvent  the  enemy." 

Scarcely  had  he  done  this  when  Ralph's 
step  was  heard  on  the  staircase,  and  a  moment 
afterward  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door. 

"  Open  it,  Scott." 

There  stood  Ralph,  smiling  craftily. 

"  Have  you  drunk  the  whisky,  gentlemen?" 
he  asked.  "  Would  you  like  to  have  me  fill  the 
pitcher  again?  " 

"  We  shall  not  need  any  more,  thank  you," 
said  the  earl.  "  Perhaps  you  will  kindly  take 
the  pitcher?  " 

Ralph  looked  into  the  pitcher,  and  his  face 
indicated  satisfaction.  From  the  little  that 
remained,  he  felt  assured  that  both  his  guests 
had  drunk  liberally. 

"  I  hope  you  liked  it,"  he  said. 

"  You  were  very  kind  to  think  of  us,"  re- 


The  Young  Salesman.  197 

joined  the  earl,  avoiding  a  reply  to  bis  ques- 
tion. 

"  Won't  you  let  me  fill  the  pitcher?  " 

"  No,  we  shall  not  need  any  more.  I  think 
yon  said  it  would  make  us  sleep  sound?" 

"  It  has  that  effect  upon  me." 

"  I  think  you  are  right.  I  can  hardly  keep 
my  eyes  open,"  and  the  earl  yawned  ostenta- 
tiously. 

"  I  feel  the  same  way,"  added  Scott. 

Bed  Kalph  smiled. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  am  sure  you  will  have  a 
good  night's  sleep.  I  will  remember  to  call  you 
at  seven.  I  won't  stay  any  longer,  for  you  must 
wish  to  retire." 

"  Good-night,  then." 

"  Now,  said  the  earl,  when  the  coast  was 
clear,  "  we  must  decide  what  to  do." 

"  Shall  we  go  to  bed?  " 

"  We  will  lie  on  the  bed,  but  it  will  be  better 
not  to  undress.  We  must  be  prepared  for  any 
contingency." 

"  Shall  I  move  the  bureau  against  the 
door?" 

"  No.  We  will  try  to  keep  awake  for  an 
hour.  My  opinion  is  that  our  friend  will  make 
us  a  visit  within  that  time." 


S)8  The  Young  Salesman. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

A   PLOT   FOILED. 

Though  the  two  travelers  had  not  removed 
their  clothes,  they  covered  themselves  up  with 
the  quilt,  in  order  to  deceive  any  one  entering 
the  room.    Then  they  lay  and  waited. 

It  was  perhaps  ten  minutes  less  than  the 
hour  when  they  heard  the  door  softly  opened. 
In  the  half  light  they  saw  Red  Ralph  enter. 
He  had  removed  his  shoes,  and  was  walking  in 
his  stocking  feet. 

The  earl  had  hung  his  coat  from  a  nail  just 
behind  the  door. 

Ralph  saw  it,  and  at  once  began  to  search 
the  pockets.  He  only  glanced  carelessly  at 
the  bed,  for  he  felt  sure  that  the  potion  had 
done  its  work,  and  that  both  his  guests  were 
asleep. 

In  the  side  pocket  he  found  the  wallet.  He 
uttered  an  ejaculation  of  satisfaction,  and 
quickly  transferred  it  to  his  own  pocket. 

He  could  not  very  well  examine  it  in  the 
darkness.  But  he  could  tell  from  the  feeling 
that  it  was  well  filled,  and  naturally  concluded 
that  the  contents  represented  a  large  sum  of 
money. 

Having  got  what  he  wanted,  he  withdrew  as 
quietly  as  he  came,  carefully  shutting  the  door 
behind  him. 


The  Young  Salesman.  199 

When  he  had  gone,  Scott  broke  the  silence. 

"  What  will  he  do  when  he  discovers  that 
the  wallet  is  stuffed  with  waste  paper?  " 

"  Probably  he  will  be  angry,  and  feel  that  he 
has  been  defrauded." 

Scott  laughed. 

"  Do  you  think  he  will  make  us  another 
visit?" 

"  If  he  does,  and  complains  of  the  deception, 
it  will  involve  a  confession  that  he  is  a  thief. 
I  confess  I  don't  know  what  to  anticipate." 

Ten  minutes  later  a  slow  step  was  heard 
ascending  the  staircase. 

Scott  and  the  earl  listened  in  excitement. 
They  could  not  forecast  the  next  act  in  the 
drama. 

The  steps  paused  before  the  door,  but  the 
door  was  not  opened.  In  place  of  this  they 
heard  a  key  turn  in  the  lock  outside.  It  was 
clear  that  they  were  locked  in. 

"  Ralph  does  not  mean  that  we  should  es- 
cape," said  the  earl. 

-  What  shall  we  do?  " 

"  I  shall  go  to  sleep.  I  think  we  are  secure 
from  any  other  visit.  Hostilities  are  probably 
deferred  till  morning.  What  will  be  done  then 
I  am  quite  at  a  loss  to  understand,  but  when 
that  time  comes  we  can  decide  what  to  do." 

When  Red  Ralph  went  downstairs  after 
purloining  the  wallet,  it  was  with  a  feeling 
of  satisfaction  at  the  apparent  success  of  his 
dishonest  scheme. 


200  The  Young  Salesman. 

Below,  bis  wife  and  his  accomplice  still  sat 
before  the  fire. 

"Well,  Ralph?"  said  the  latter,  with  an 
eager  look  of  interrogation. 
m     "  I  have  got  it/'  chuckled  Ralph. 

"  I  don't  like  such  doings,"  said  his  wife, 
wearily.  "  Heaven  will  never  prosper  dis- 
honesty." 

"  Shut  up,  Sarah,"  commanded  Ralph, 
harshly.  "  I  can't  stand  a  sniveling  woman. 
What  I  have  done  is  my  business,  not  yours." 

"  I  wish  they  had  never  come.  I  ought  to 
have  sent  them  away." 

"  You  did  just  right.  You  invited  them  in, 
and  delivered  them  into  my  hands." 

"  Open  the  wallet ! "  said  the  dark  man,  im- 
patiently. 

Ralph  seated  himself  in  the  chair  which  he 
had  vacated  before  he  went  upstairs,  and,  with 
a  smile,  opened  the  wallet. 

But  the  smile  quickly  faded  from  his  face, 
and  it  grew  dark  with  anger,  as  the  contents 
were  disclosed. 

"  Confusion !  "  he  muttered.  "  Look  at 
this !  "  and  he  threw  the  paper  into  the  fire. 

"What  does  it  mean?"  asked  his  accom- 
plice, bewildered. 

"  It  means  that  we  have  been  fooled — 
tricked !  They  have  filled  the  wallet  with  this 
trash,  in  order  to  deceive  us." 

"  But  are  you  sure  that  they  had  any 
monev?  " 


The  Young  Salesman.  201 

"  Sure?  Why,  I  saw  it  with  my  own  eyes. 
Didn't  you,  Sarah?  Didn't  the  man  pull  out  a 
thick  roll  of  bills  when  he  paid  the  five  dollars 
he  agreed  upon  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  woman,  reluctantly. 

"  There  was  no  mistake  about  that.  The 
money  was  real,  fast  enough.  There  must  have 
been  two  or  three  hundred  dollars." 

"  Where  could  he  have  put  it,  then?  " 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  Why  should  he  play  such  a  trick  upon 
you?" 

"  He  evidently  suspected  something." 

"  How  could  he  suspect  a  man  with  your 
honest  face?  " 

"  Be  careful,  Conrad !  I  don't  allow  any 
man  to  insult  me,"  said  Ralph,  with  lowering 
brow. 

"  Don't  get  mad,  Ralph ;  I  was  only  joking. 
What  are  you  going  to  do  now?  " 

"  I  don't  know." 

4'  The  money  must  be  somewhere  in  the 
chamber,"  said  Conrad,  suggestively. 

"  Probably  it  is,  but  it  is  concealed.  I  can't 
get  at  it  without  waking  them  up." 

"  If  they  drank  the  doctored  whisky,  it 
would  be  safe  enough." 

"  I  don't  know  whether  they  did  drink  it  or 
not.  They  pretended  to,  but  if  they  suspected 
me,  they  may  have  emptied  it  out  of  the  win- 
dow." 


202  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Then  won't  you  do  anything?  "  asked  Con- 
rad, in  evident  disappointment. 

"  I  will  lock  them  in.  I  will  see,  at  any  rate, 
that  they  don't  escape  from  the  room.  In  the 
morning  I  will  consider  what  is  best  to  be 
done." 

The  woman  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief.  She 
was  honest  at  heart,  and  felt  no  sympathy  with 
her  outlaw  husband. 

It  was  perhaps  by  way  of  consoling  them- 
selves for  their  disappointment  that  the  two 
men  resumed  their  drinking,  and  drank  heav- 

iiy. 

"  Go  and  get  some  more  whisky,  Sarah," 
said  Ralph,  for  the  pitcher  was  about  empty. 

The  woman  did  so,  but  an  idea  had  occurred 
to  her.  She  was  resolved  to  prevent  the  rob- 
bery of  her  guests,  and  to  afford  them  a  chance 
to  escape. 

She  turned  the  tables  upon  her  husband, 
and  dropped  into  the  whisky  some  of  the  same 
sleeping  potion  which  had  been  intended  for 
the  two  travelers. 

Red  Ralph  and  his  accomplice  were  too  much 
affected  already  to  notice  any  peculiar  taste 
in  the  whisky.  They  drank  deep,  getting  more 
and  more  drowsy,  until  at  last  Ralph  slipped 
from  his  chair  to  the  floor,  where  he  lay  with- 
out sense  or  motion. 

"  Good-night,  old  fellow !  "  hiccoughed  Con- 
rad. "  I'm  with  you,"  and  he  was  soon  lying 
beside  his  friend. 


The  Young  Salesman.  203 

Sarah  looked  at  the  twain  half  remorsefully. 

"Ought  I  to  have  done  it?"  she  asked  her- 
self. "  But  there  was  no  other  way.  I  have 
perhaps  saved  ray  husband  from  prison,  for 
the  theft  would  surely  have  been  found  out. 
The  man  looked  strong  and  resolute,  and  would 
not  have  allowed  himself  to  be  robbed  without 
seeking  to  punish  the  robber." 

She  left  the  two  men  lying  upon  the  floor, 
and  sought  her  own  bed. 

"  They  won't  wake  till  late,"  she  reflected, 
"  and  I  can  let  the  travelers  lie  till  morning. 
I  won't  deprive  them  of  their  night's  rest." 

She  went  upstairs  and  saw  the  key  in  the 
lock. 

"  I  will  leave  it  there,"  she  said,  "  till  morn- 
ing." 

About  five  o'clock — her  usual  time  for  rising 
— she  dressed  and  went  upstairs.  She  un- 
locked the  door,  and  knocked  loudly  upon  it. 

"Who  is  it?"  asked  Scott,  jumping  out  of 
bed. 

"  It  is  I,"  answered  Sarah. 

Scott  was  agreeably  surprised,  for  he  had 
feared  it  might  be  Ralph. 

"  The  door  is  locked,"  he  said. 

"  You  can  open  it." 

He  did  so,  and  saw  the  nervous,  half-fright- 
ened look  of  his  hostess. 

"  You  must  get  up  at  once,"  she  said,  "  you 
and  your  friend.  It  is  not  safe  to  remain 
here." 


204  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  had  found  that  out.  But  won't  your  hus- 
band interfere  with  us?  " 

"  He  is  sound  asleep,  and  won't  wake  for 
hours.  But  you  had  better  get  up  now,  and 
avoid  difficulty." 

"  Wait  a  minute,  till  I  wake  my  friend." 

But  the  earl  was  already  awake.  He  quickly 
grasped  the  situation. 

"  Are  you  not  exposing  yourself  to  danger  on 
our  account?"  he  asked,  earnestly,  of  the 
woman. 

"  No,  I  shall  know  how  to  manage,  but  go 
now.  It  is  morning,  and  the  sooner  you  get 
away  the  better." 

"  Can  we  get  into  the  barn,  and  take  our 
horse?  " 

"  Yes,  there  will  be  no  difficulty.  Make  as 
little  noise  as  possible  coming  downstairs. 
My  husband  might  awake." 

"  Madam,"  said  the  earl,  "  we  are  much  in- 
debted to  you.  Take  this  as  an  acknowledg- 
ment," and  he  tendered  her  a  ten-dollar  bill. 

"  No,"  she  said,  shaking  her  head.  "  Should 
my  husband  discover  that  I  had  money  he 
would  suspect  that  I  had  let  you  out.  Then  I 
should  be  in  danger." 

"  Then  we  can  only  thank  you." 

They  were  already  dressed,  and  followed  the 
woman  downstairs.  They  saw  Ealph  and  his 
friend  lying  like  logs  on  the  floor,  and  sus- 
pected why  they  slept  so  soundly.  Both  wTere 
snoring  loudly. 


The  Young  Salesman.  205 

With  a  sensation  of  disgust  they  left  the 
house,  and  led  the  horse  out  of  the  barn.  He 
seemed  to  be  much  better  of  his  lameness,  so 
that  he  was  able  to  travel,  though  slowly. 
They  reached  Niagara  in  time  for  breakfast. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

RED  RALPH'S  SURPRISE. 

Red  Ralph  and  his  companion  slept  soundly 
till  after  nine  o'clock.  The  drug  was  only  of 
moderate  strength,  or  they  would  have  slept 
longer. 

When  Ralph  opened  his  eyes  he  saw  the 
breakfast-table  spread,  and  his  wife  moving 
about  the  room.  He  looked  around  him  half 
dazed. 

"  How  does  it  happen  that  I  am  asleep  on 
the  floor?"  he  asked. 

"  You  fell  from  your  chair  last  night." 

"  Why  didn't  you  arouse  me,  and  make  me 
go  to  bed?" 

"  I  tried  to,  but  you  slept  too  sound." 

"  It  is  strange  I  should  sleep  so — and  Con- 
rad, too.    What  time  is  it?  " 

"  Half-past  nine." 

"  Has  there  been  any  noise  in  the  room 
above,  where  the  strangers  are  sleeping?  " 

"  I  have  heard  none." 


2o6  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  The  potion  kept  them  asleep.  I  must  go  up 
and  rouse  them." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  to  them,  Ralph? 
You  won't  injure  them?  " 

"  I  must  have  their  money.  I  may  as  well 
take  Conrad  with  me.  Here,  Conrad,  wake 
up ! "  and  he  shook  his  companion  with  no 
gentle  hand. 

Conrad  opened  his  eyes,  and  looked  sleepily 
around  him. 

"  How  came  I  here?  "  he  asked. 

"  You  took  too  much  whisky  and  got  stupid 
drunk,"  said  Ralph,  not  mentioning  that  he, 
too,  had  been  in  the  same  box.  "  Is  breakfast 
ready,  Sarah  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  we'll  sit  up  and  eat.    I  am  famished." 

"  Won't  you  rouse  the  strangers  first?  " 

"  No.  That  will  do  afterward.  If  I  get 
their  money,  you  may  give  them  some  break- 
fast, too." 

"  Very  well." 

The  woman  spoke  calmly,  but  she  was  in- 
wardly excited.  She  knew  that  her  husband 
would  be  enraged  when  he  learned  that  the 
prisoners  had  escaped,  but  she  hoped  that  her 
agency  in  the  matter  would  not  be  sus- 
pected. 

The  two  men  ate  heartily,  and  his  breakfast 
made  Ralph  feel  better  natured. 

When  the  meal  was  over,  he  said :  "  Come 
with  me,  Conrad.    We  have  work  to  do." 


The  Young  Salesman.  207 

He  went  upstairs,  followed  by  his  accom- 
plice. 

The  key  was  in  the  lock,  just  as  he  had  left 
it,  apparently. 

He  turned  the  key,  and  opened  the  door  of 
the  chamber.  What  he  expected  to  see  was  the 
two  travelers  in  a  profound  slumber.  What  he 
did  see  was  the  bed  disarranged  and  the  cham- 
ber empty. 

"  What  does  all  this  mean?  "  he  ejaculated, 
starting  back  in  surprise. 

"They're  not  here!"  said  Conrad,  looking 
about  him. 

"  Of  course  they're  not,  you  fool !  But  how 
could  they  get  away?  " 

Conrad  pointed  to  one  of  the  windows,  thrt 
was  half  open. 

"  That  explains  it,"  he  said. 

Ralph  hurried  to  the  window,  and  put  his 
head  out. 

Stretching  from  the  window  to  the  ground 
was  the  bed  cord. 

This  was  a  piece  of  strategy  on  the  part  of 
his  wife.  After  the  departure  of  Scott  and  the 
earl,  she  had  removed  the  bed  cord,  and  fas- 
tened it  to  the  window  to  mislead  her  husband 
into  supposing  that  it  was  in  this  way  their 
guests  had  escaped. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  blowed !  "  ejaculated  Ralph. 

"  They  must  have  smelt  a  rat,"  said  Conrad, 
sagely. 

"  What  I  can't  understand  is  how  a  man  of 


2o8  The  Young  Salesman. 

good  weight  could  have  been  held  up  by  such  a 
Sleinder  cotfd.  And  it  doesn't  seem  to  be 
stretched  at  all." 

"  It  may  be  stronger  than  you  think,"  sug- 
gested Conrad. 

"  I  suppose  it  was,  but  I  wouldn't  like  to 
trust  myself  to  it." 

"  I  wouldn't  mind." 

"  Try  it,  then." 

Conrad  was  a  man  who  inclined  to  be  ven- 
turesome. He  got  out  of  the  window,  and  tried 
to  lower  himself  by  the  rope.  The  slender 
cord  broke,  and  he  fell  and  lay  an  inglorious 
heap  on  the  greensward  below. 

"  I  told  you  so ! "  said  Ralph,  with  a  bois- 
terous laugh. 

"  The  man  strained  it,"  said  Conrad,  look- 
ing rather  foolish. 

"  Here,  Sarah,"  called  out  Ralph,  "  come 
and  look  here." 

Outwardly  calm,  but  with  inward  trepida- 
tion, Ralph's  wife  ascended  the  stairs. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  she  asked. 

"  What's  the  matter?  You  can  see  for  your- 
self.    The  men  have  escaped." 

"  So  they  have,"  she  said,  in  affected  sur- 
prise.   "  How  did  they  do  it?  " 

"  Climbed  out  of  the  window  by  the  bed 
cord.    Didn't  you  hear  it?  " 

"  They  must  have  done  it  before  I  was  up," 
she  replied,  evading  a  direct  answer. 

"  Conrad,"  called  out  Ralph,  with  a  sudden 


The  Young  Salesman.  209 

thought,  "  go  out  to  the  barn,  and  see  if  they 
have  taken  the  horse." 

"  Yes,  they  have.  The  horse  isn't  there,"  re- 
ported Conrad. 

"  Then  I've  been  taken  in,  and  done  for. 
What  beats  me  is,  how  did  they  suspect  any- 
thing? " 

"  You  forget,-'  said  the  wife,  "  that  they  may 
have  missed  the  wallet." 

"  That's  true.  I  should  like  to  know  how 
long  they  have  been  gone.  I  wonder  you  didn't 
hear  the  horse." 

"  I  think  I  slept  pretty  sound  myself.  It 
was  not  till  late  that  I  went  to  bed.'* 

"  Well,  there's  no  use  in  crying  over  spilt 
milk,"  said  Ralph,  philosophically.  "  At  any 
rate  we've  got  the  five  dollars." 

"  And  that  will  pay  for  all  they  got  here." 

"  Especially,"  chimed  in  Conrad,  "  as  they 
went  off  without  their  breakfast." 

"  So  they  did,"  said  Ralph,  with  a  broad 
smile. 

He  seemed  amused  by  the  thought  that  their 
guests  had,  after  all,  been  overreached,  and 
this  contributed  to  restore  his  good  humor. 

Sarah  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief.  Her  strata- 
gem had  been  successful,  and  there  was  no  sus- 
picion entertained  by  her  husband  that  she  had 
assisted  the  two  to  escape.  Had  he  suspected 
it,  she  shuddered  to  think  what  would  have 
happened. 

When  Scott  and  the  earl  reached  the  hotel 


2io  The  Young  Salesman. 

at  Niagara,  they  went  up  to  their  room  to 
finish  out  a  night's  rest,  their  slumber  at  the 
farmhouse  having  been  interrupted. 

The  consequence  was  that  they  appeared  late 
at  breakfast. 

Meanwhile,  there  had  been  an  arrival  at  the 
hotel  of  two  characters  well  known  to  the 
reader. 

Two  days  previously,  Ezra  Little  suddenly 
determined  to  go  to  Buffalo.  By  the  failure  of 
a  large  firm  in  that  city  a  considerable  stock 
of  goods  had  been  thrown  on  the  market.  It 
was  almost  certain  that  the  stock  would  be 
sold  out  for  much  less  than  its  real  value. 

Ezra  Little,  among  others,  had  received  a 
notice  from  the  assignee  of  the  approaching 
sale.  The  goods  were,  many  of  them,  in  his 
line,  and  in  several  departments  his  own  stock 
was  getting  short. 

"  I  think,  Mr.  Allen,"  he  said  to  his  super- 
intendent, "  I  shall  run  on  to  Buffalo,  and 
examine  the  stock  of  Frost,  Burks  &  Co.,  and 
if  it  is  a  sacrifice  sale  I  shall  probably  make 
considerable  purchases." 

"  It  will  be  an  excellent  plan,  I  think,  Mr. 
Little.  We  are  running  short  in  several  de- 
partments. Besides,  it  will  be  a  pleasant  trip 
for  you." 

"  That  is  true ;  I  haven't  been  fifty  miles 
from  the  city  for  three  years.  Three  years 
since,  I  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  ever  since 
then  I  have  tied  myself  down  to  business." 


The  Young  Salesman.  211 

"I  will  look  after  things  while  you  are 
gone.     I  understand  your  system." 

When  Ezra  Little  announced  at  home  that 
he  was  going  to  Buffalo,  the  news  made  a  sen- 
sation. 

"  Isn't  Buffalo  near  Niagara  Falls?  "  asked 

Loammi. 

"  Certainly." 

"You  will  go  there,  won't  you?" 

"  Yes,  I  will  try  to  get  time.  I  shall  never 
have  a  better  opportunity." 

"  Oh,  pa,  won't  you  take  me?  "  asked  Lo- 
ammi, eagerly. 

"  Take  you?    Why  should  I?  " 

"  I  should  enjoy  it  so  much." 

"No   doubt,    but    the   expense    will    be   too 
great.      The  car   fare  and   hotel   rates   will 
amount  to  considerable." 

"  But,  pa,  as  you  were  just  saying,  you  will 
probably  clear  more  than  a  thousand  dollars 
by  the  purchase  you  propose  to  make." 

"  That  is  not  certain." 

"  Oh,  yes  it  is ;  you  are  so  sharp  and  shrewd, 

pa." 

Ezra  Little's  pride  was  flattered. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  I  think  I  am  fairly  sharp." 

"  And  my  expenses  won't  be  much." 

Ezra  looked  undecided. 

At  this  point  his  wife  intervened. 

"  Yrou  had  better  take  Loammi,  Ezra,"  she 
said.  "  It  will  be  a  pleasure  to  him,  and  if 
you  are  sick  he  can  take  care  of  you." 


212  The  Young  Salesman. 

"Well,  Loamini,"  said  his  father,  with  un- 
wonted good  humor,  "  I  think  I  will  let  you 
go.  But  you  must  be  ready  at  six  o'clock  this 
evening." 

"  I'll  be  ready,  pa,  never  fear." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

AN   UNEXPECTED   MEETING. 

Loammi  and  his  father  arrived  late  in  the 
evening  at  Niagara,  and  put  up  at  the  Inter- 
national Hotel.  Had  they  looked  back  in  the 
book  of  arrivals  they  would  have  seen  the  name 
of  Scott  Walton,  but  they  failed  to  do  so. 

As  they  sped  over  the  Central  Railroad, 
Loammi  was  in  high  spirits.  It  was  his  first 
long  journey,  and  he  felt  somehow  that  it 
would  increase  his  consequence.  He  was  pre- 
pared to  make  much  of  it  on  his  return,  and  he 
felt  that  his  friends  and  schoolfellows  would 
be  impressed. 

The  International  Hotel  seemed  to  him  quite 
grand,  and  as  he  had  never  been  a  guest  at  a 
hotel  before,  he  quite  enjoyed  his  new  way  of 
living. 

"  Isn't  it  fine,  pa?  "  he  said,  as  they  walked 
through  the  office. 

"  It  is  fine  enough,"  responded  his  father, 
practically,  "  but  it  costs  money,  Loammi ;  I 
expect  they'll  be  charging  me  four  or  five  dol- 
lars a  day." 


The   Young  Salesman.  213 

"  Oli,  well,  pa,  you  can  afford  it." 

"  That  may  be,  but  I  am  afraid  it  is  money 
thrown  away  to  pay  your  expenses  on  such  a 
trip.  It  would  have  been  better  to  pay  you 
ten  dollars,  and  let  you  stay  at  home." 

"  I  wouldn't  have  been  willing  to  do  it,  pa. 
Wouldn't  Scott  like  to  be  traveling  as  we  are 
doing?  " 

"  I  presume4  he  would.  You  haven't  heard 
anything  of  him,  have  you?" 

"  No." 

"  He  can't  be  in  New  York,  I  should  say." 

"  He's  probably  tramping  about  somewhere," 
said  Loammi,  rather  contemptuously. 

"  I  think  the  boy  has  some  business  talent," 
his  father  remarked,  who  was  not  so  much 
prejudiced  as  his  son. 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  he'd  pass,  but  he  couldn't 
hold  a  place.  He  had  to  leave  you,  and  now 
he's  left  Tower.  Douglas  &  Co." 

"Do  you  know  why  he  left  them?" 

"  One  of  the  clerks  told  me  he  was  too  fresh." 

This  was  not  quite  correct,  as  it  was  Loammi 
who  had  designated  his  cousin  in  that  way. 

AYhile  they  were  waiting  for  breakfast,  a 
traveling  acquaintance  from  Boston,  a  Mr. 
Norwood,  greeted  them. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  said,  "  there's  an  Eng- 
lish earl  staying  in  this  hotel?" 

"  Is  there?  Who  is  it?  "  asked  Ezra  Little, 
for  he  had  a  reverence  for  rank. 

"  It  is  the  Earl  of  Windermere." 


214  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Yes,  I  know  of  the  title.  Have  vou  seen 
him?" 

"  No,  but  I  saw  his  name  on  the  register." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  meet  him,  pa,"  said  Lo- 
ammi.  "  It  would  be  quite  a  feather  in  our  cap 
if  we  could  get  introduced  to  him." 

"  I  should  like  that  myself,  Loainini.  Do 
you  know  if  he  is  a  young  man,  or  an  old  one, 
Mr.  Norwood?" 

"  He  is  a  young  man,  under  thirty." 

"  We  will  look  for  him  at  breakfast." 

When  they  took  their  seats  at  the  table, 
Mr.  Little  said  to  the  waiter :  "  I  hear  there's 
an  earl  staying  at  the  hotel?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Could  you  point  him  out  to  us?  " 

The  waiter  looked  across  the  room. 

"  He  generally  sits  at  that  table,  sir,  but  he 
hasn't  come  in  yet." 

"  Is  any  one  of  his  family  with  him?  " 

"  I  don't  rightly  know.  There's  a  boy  goes 
round  with  him  a  good  deal — about  the  age  of 
this  young  gentleman." 

"  I  will  try  to  get  acquainted  with  him,  pa," 
said  Loammi.  "  I  guess  that'll  be  the  easiest 
way  to  get  in  with  the  earl." 

The  breakfast  proceeded,  and  was  nearly 
over  for  Loammi  and  his  father,  when  the 
waiter  came  up. 

"  There's  the  earl  just  coming  in,  sir,"  he 
said,  "  and  the  boy  with  him." 

Both  father  and  son  looked  toward  the  earl 


The  Young  Salesman.  215 

with  eager  curiosity.  They  did  not  at  first 
take  special  notice  of  the  boy.  When  they  did, 
Loanimi  grasped  his  father's  arm  in  excite- 
ment. 

"  The  boy  locks  just  like  Scott,"  he  said. 

"  It  is  Scott,"  pronounced  his  father,  looking 
through  his  eyeglasses. 

"  Nonsense,  pa,  it  can't  be !  "  said  Loammi. 
*  It's  ridiculous  to  think  of  Scott  being  in 
company  with  an  earl." 

"  Ridiculous  or  not,  it  is  a  fact." 

"  Perhaps  they  are  not  together,"  said  Lo- 
ammi, who  did  not  like  to  believe  that  his 
humble  cousin  was  in  such  aristocratic  com- 
pany. "  Is  that  the  boy  that  usually  goes 
around  with  the  earl?"  he  asked,  turning  to 
the  waiter. 

"  Yes,  sir,  it's  the  very  identical  boy." 

"  I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing,"  gasped 
Loammi.  "  That  boy's  cheek  seems  too  great 
for  anything.  But  perhaps  he  is  the  earl's 
valet,  though  I  don't  know  how  he  could  have 
got  the  position." 

"  I  don't  know  but  he's  the  earl's  brother," 
said  the  waiter.  "  Anyhow,  they're  pretty 
thick.  They  went  out  riding  together  yester- 
day afternoon." 

"  He  isn't  the  earl's  brother,"  said  Loammi, 
emphatically.    "  He's  a — a  relative  of  ours." 

"  Lor'  now,  you  don't  mean  it !  Didn't  you 
know  he  was  traveling  with  the  earl?" 

"  No,"  answered  Loammi ;  "  I  haven't  seen 
much  of  him  lately." 


2i6  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  The  earl  seems  to  think  everything  of  him. 
They're  always  together." 

"  I  never  was  so  astonished  in  my  life,  pa," 
said  Loammi,  when  the  waiter  had  left  them. 

"  It  does  seem  singular." 

"  I'll  get  Scott  to  introduce  me." 

"  I  thought  you  didn't  care  to  take  any  more 
notice  of  him." 

"  No  more  I  did,  but  as  he's  intimate  with  an 
earl  that  makes  a  difference." 

Mr.  Little  and  his  son  lingered  at  the  table 
till  they  saw  the  earl  and  his  young  compan- 
ion rise.    Then  they  followed  them  out. 

Scott  had  not  noticed  the  presence  of  Lo- 
ammi and  his  father,  but  it  was  soon  made 
evident  to  him. 

As  he  was  walking  with  the  earl,  suddenly  he 
felt  a  tap  on  his  arm,  and  looking  round  espied 
Loammi. 

"  Loammi !  "  he  exclaimed,  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,  I  am  here  with  pa.  I  was  surprised 
to  find  you  here." 

Scott  smiled. 

"  I  have  been  traveling  for  some  weeks,"  he 
said. 

"  Here's  pa." 

"  How  do  you  do,  Scott?  I  hope  you  are 
well,"  said  Ezra  Little,  graciously. 

"  Very  well,  thank  you." 

The  earl,  noticing  that  Scott  had  met  ac- 
quaintances, walked  slowly  on. 

"  Won't  you  introduce  us  to  your  friend, 
Scott?  "  asked  Loammi,  eagerly. 


The  Young  Salesman.  217 

"  If  he  is  willing,"  Scott  said. 

He  went  up  to  the  earl  and  acquainted  him 
with  his  cousin's  request. 

"Are  they  friends  of  yours,  Scott?  " 

"  I  can't  say  they  are  friends,  but  they  are 
my  cousins.  I  have  told  you  of  them.  They 
are  my  cousin,  Loammi  Little,  and  his  father." 

"  Do  you  think  they  know  who  I  am?  " 

"  Yes.  It  is  probably  your  title  that  makes 
them  desirous  of  an  introduction." 

"  Very  well." 

In  answer  to  a  look,  Loammi  and  his  father 
approached. 

"  My  lord,"  said  Scott,  formally,  "  let  me  pre- 
sent to  you  Mr.  Ezra  Little  and  his  son,  Lo- 
ammi.   They  are  relatives  of  mine." 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  any  relative  of  my  young 
friend,  Mr.  Walton,"  said  the  earl,  with  dig- 
nity. 

"  My  lord  earl,"  said  Mr.  Little,  with  a  pro- 
found bow.  "  I  am  indeed  honored  in  making 
your  acquaintance." 

"  And  I,  too,"  murmured  Loammi. 

"  I  am  an  Englishman,  like  yourself,  my 
lord." 

"  And  so,  I  believe,  is  my  young  friend, 
Scott,"  said  the  nobleman. 

"  Yes,"  said  Scott,  "  but  I  have  nearly  for- 
gotten it.    I  intend  to  be  an  American  citizen." 

"  I  shall  never  forget  that  I  am  an  English- 
man," observed  Ezra  Little. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  earl,  "  will  you  ex- 
cuse me?    I  have  a  letter  to  write." 


218  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Certainly,  my  lord." 

"  I  will  meet  you  in  half  an  hour,  Scott," 
said  the  earl,  familiarly.  "  You  will  find  me 
in  the  reading-room." 

"  How  on  earth  did  you  get  so  thick  with  the 
earl,  Scott?"  asked  Loammi. 

"  He  seemed  to  take  a  fancy  to  me." 

"  Are  you  with  him  a  good  deal?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  How  can  you  afford  to  stay  at  this  ex- 
pensive hotel?"  asked  Ezra  Little. 

"  I  am  traveling  on  business." 

"  For  what  house?  " 

"  Please  excuse  my  mentioning  just  yet." 

"  How  long  are  you  going  to  stay  here?  " 

"  I  expected  to  have  this  morning,  but  I  have 
a  letter  from  my  employers  with  instructions 
that  will  detain  me  here  a  day  or  two  longer. 
But  how  do  you  and  Loammi  happen  to  be 
here?  " 

"  I  have  business  in  Buffalo." 

Scott  smiled. 

"  So  have  I,"  he  said. 

"  I  intend  to  make  large  purchases  from  the 
assignees  of  Frost,  Burks  &  Co." 

"  I  shall  probably  meet  you  both  this  even- 
ing." 

As  Scott  walked  away,  Loammi  said,  envi- 
ously :  "  Did  you  notice  how  well  Scott  w7as 
dressed?  " 

"  I  didn't  notice." 

"  He  doesn't  look  much  like  the  poor  rela- 


The  Young  Salesman.  219 

tion   we  took  in  some  months  ago.     But  it 
won't  last." 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

A    LARGE    OPERATION. 

Scott  found  a  letter  awaiting  him  at  the 
hotel,  of  the  following  purport 

"  We  are  notified  that  the  stock  of  Frost, 
Burks  &  Co.,  of  Buffalo,  will  be  sold  at  a  great 
sacrifice.  We  append  a  list  of  articles  that  we 
would  like  to  buy  if  they  will  be  sold  at,  say 
sixty  per  cent,  of  the  ordinary  wholesale  price. 
At  that  rate,  you  may  buy  without  limit,  or 
you  can  take  the  whole  stock  if  a  commen- 
surate reduction  should  be  made. 

"  Tower,  Douglas  &  Co." 

Scott  went  to  Buffalo  in  the  same  train  as 
Ezra  Little,  but  in  a  different  car,  so  that  the 
latter  did  not  know  his  humble  cousin  was  on 
board.  The  earl  went  along,  and  proposed  to 
look  about  the  city  while  his  young  compan- 
ion was  engaged. 

Scott  took  a  cab,  feeling  that  the  emergency 
justified  it,  while  Ezra  Little  waited  a  con- 
siderable time  for  a  horse  car.  The  result  was 
that  Scott  was  with  the  assignee  twenty  min- 
utes before  Mr.  Little  arrived. 

When  Scott  was  introduced,  the  assignee,  a 


220  The  Young  Salesman. 

gentleman  named  Clark,  regarded  him  im- 
patiently. 

"  I've  no  time  to  waste  with  boys,"  he  said. 
"  I  am  very  busy." 

"  I  am  a  boy,"  replied  Scott,  quietly,  "  but 
I  represent  the  firm  of  Tower,  Douglas  &  Co., 
of  New  York.     There  is  my  card." 

"  Is  this  really  so?"  asked  the  assignee,  al- 
most incredulous. 

"  You  can  rely  upon  it.  What  could  be  my 
object  in  making  a  false  representation?" 

"  Very  well,  Mn  Walton.  Are  you  em- 
powered to  purchase?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  To  what  extent?  " 

"  That  depends  on  the  terms  I  obtain.  I 
may  take  your  whole  stock  if  there's  sufficient 
inducement." 

The  assignee  looked  amazed. 

"  We  shall  certainly  prefer  to  sell  the  entire 
stock  to  one  purchaser." 

"  And  will  you  make  it  worth  my  while?  " 

"  What  terms  do  you  offer?  " 

"  Half  cash,  half  on  thirty  days." 

"  That  will  be  satisfactory." 

"  Have  you  an  inventory?  " 

"  Yes." 

Scott  looked  it  carefully  over.  He  was 
offered  even  better  terms  than  his  employers 
had  stipulated  for. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  he  had  agreed  to 
purchase  the  entire  stock,  conditioned  upon 


The  Young  Salesman.  221 


'o 


the  amount  and  quality  of  goods  being  as 
represented.  He  knew  enough  of  the  value  of 
goods  to  feel  that  he  had  made  a  good  bar- 
gain for  the  firm. 

Meanwhile,  Ezra  Little  and  Loammi  had 
arrived. 

"  There's  a  gentleman  with  Mr.  Clark,"  said 
a  clerk. 

"  Please  carry  in  my  card,"  ordered  Mr. 
Little,  pompously. 

He  felt  that  his  name  would  secure  respect- 
ful consideration. 

But  he  had  to  wait  half  an  hour.  Then,  on 
entering  the  office,  he  found  to  his  surprise 
Scott  ahead  of  him.  He  nodded  to  him  coolly, 
and  in  a  tone  of  some  importance  said :  "  Mr. 
Clark,  I  have  come  to  look  over  your  stock, 
and  if  I  find  it  and  your  terms  satisfactory  I 
may  make  considerable  purchases." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  disappoint  you,  Mr.  Little," 
said  the  assignee,  referring  to  the  card  in  his 
hand,  "  but  you  are  too  late." 

"  How  am  I  too  late?  " 

"  I  have  sold  the  entire  stock  to  one  party." 

Ezra  Little  looked  astonished  and  disap- 
pointed. 

"  May  I  ask  to  whom  you  have  sold?  "  he 
inquired. 

"  To  this  young  man." 

"  To  that  boy?  "  ejaculated  Ezra  Little. 

"  Yes ;  he  represents  the  great  New  York 
firm  of  Tower,  Douglas  &  Co." 


222  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  That  is  a  mistake,"  said  Ezra,  indignantly. 
"  He  is  an  impostor.  He  was  employed  by 
them,  but  has  been  discharged." 

The  assignee  looked  alarmed. 

"What  do  you  say  to  this,  Mr.  Walton?" 
he  asked. 

"  Simply  that  it  is  false,"  returned  Scott. 
"  If  you  have  an}7  doubts  as  to  my  being  in 
the  employ  of  the  firm,  you  can  look  at  this 
letter  received  this  morning." 

The  assignee  read  the  letter  given  at  the  com- 
mencement of  this  chapter. 

"  Mr.  Little,  you  appear  to  be  mistaken,"  he 
said,  severely.  "  What  can  be  your  object  in 
trying  to  discredit  Mr.  Walton,  I  will  not  in- 
quire, though  I  can  guess  at  it.  If  you  wish 
to  negotiate  for  any  of  the  stock  I  refer  you 
to  him.  He  obtained  it  on  such  terms  thai  he 
can  afford  to  deal  with  you  liberally." 

This  was  gall  and  wormwood  to  Mr.  Little, 
but  he  wished  to  make  his  journey  pay,  and 
broached  the  subject  to  Scott. 

"  Will  you  sell  me  what  I  want  at  the  price 
you  paid  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  Mr.  Little,  I  cannot  do  that,  but  I 
will  sell  at  five  per  cent,  profit." 

When  Mr.  Little  made  an  examination  of 
prices,  he  ascertained  that  even  on  these  terms 
he  would  make  a  better  bargain  than  he  antic- 
ipated. The  result  was  that  he  bought  five 
thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods  from  Scott, 
and  felt  sure  that  even  then  he  would  clear 


The  Young  Salesman.  223 

more  than  a  thousand  dollars  on  his  pur- 
chases. 

As  he  left  the  office  with  Scott,  Loammi 
questioned  him  eagerly. 

"  Did  you  buy  many  goods  of  the  assignee?  " 
he  inquired. 

"  No." 

"  But  I  thought  you  meant  to." 

"  I  bought  of  Scott." 

"  What  has  he  to  do  with  it?  " 

"  I  found  that  he  had  bought  the  entire  stock 
before  I  got  into  the  office." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  pa?  You're  joking, 
ain't  you?" 

"  No." 

"Of  course,  Mr.  Little,"  said  Scott,  "the 
sale  must  be  ratified  by  my  firm.  I  will,  how- 
ever, make  a  special  request  to  that  effect,  and 
I  don't  anticipate  that  they  will  interfere  with 
my  arrangements." 

"  Are  you  going  back  to  Niagara  on  the  next 
train,  Scott?"  asked  Ezra  Little. 

"  No ;  I  must  wire  the  firm  of  what  I  have 
done.  Then  I  have  agreed  to  meet  the  earl  at 
the  Mansion  House,  where  we  shall  dine." 

"  WThen  will  you  return  to  New  York?" 

"  Probably  I  shall  take  the  night  train." 

"  I  shall  wait  a  day  or  two.  I  have  not  yet 
had  a  chance  to  see  the  falls." 

"  Then  if  I  don't  see  you  again,  Cousin 
Ezra,  I  shall  bid  you  good-by." 

"  Good-by,  Scott.    If  you  leave  your  present 


224  The  Young  Salesman. 

employer  at  any  time  I  will  give  you  five  dol- 
lars a  week  and  your  board." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Scott,  with  a  smile. 

He  was  not  conceited,  but  it  struck  him  that 
one  who  had  been  intrusted  with  such  a  re- 
sponsible commission  was  worth  considerably 
more  than  this  small  sum. 

"  How  have  you  succeeded,  Scott?  "  asked 
the  earl,  when  they  met  at  the  Mansion  House. 

Scott  told  him. 

"  How  much  will  your  purchases  amount 
to?" 

"  Probably  to  eighty  thousand  dollars." 

"  It  is  wonderful.  And  you  are  only  seven- 
teen years  old ! " 

"  I  believe  so,"  said  Scott,  smiling. 

"  I  am  not  sure  but  it  would  be  for  my  ad- 
vantage to  go  into  business  with  you." 

"  What  shall  be  the  style  of  the  firm?  The 
Earl  of  Windermere  &  Co?  " 

"  We  will  consider  that.  When  do  you  pro- 
pose to  return  to  New  York?  " 

"  This  evening." 

"  I'm  sorry  I  can't  go  with  you.  I  shall  start 
in  three  days,  and  when  I  take  up  my  resi- 
dence in  New  York  it  will  be  at  the  Windsor 
Hotel.    Will  you  call  and  see  me  there?  " 

"  With  the  greatest  pleasure,  my  lord." 

"You  mean,   Mr.   Grant," 

"Well,  Mr.  Grant.  But  when  others  are 
present  I  will  use  your  title." 

Some  time  during  the  next  day  Scott  reached 


The  Young  Salesman.  225 

New  York.  He  lost  no  time  in  calling  at  the 
store,  and  reported  his  business  operations  in 
detail. 

He  was  received  with  great  cordiality. 

"  Scott,"  said  Mr.  Tower,  "  you  have  quite 
surpassed  my  expectations.  I  own  I  had  some 
hesitation  about  intrusting  you  with  the  Buf- 
falo business,  but  you  have  managed  it  to  my 
satisfaction." 

Scott  told  him  of  his  transaction  with  Mr. 
Little. 

"  I  told  him  it  would  depend  on  your  rati* 
fication,"  he  said. 

"  I  will  ratify  it,"  said  Mr.  Tower,  "  and  the 
five  per  cent,  shall  be  your  commission." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Tower.  You  are  very 
liberal.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  will 
make  me  feel  rich." 

"  We  will  pay  you  five  hundred  dollars  be- 
sides for  your  general  services  during  the  six 
weeks  you  have  been  absent,  and  your  salary 
will  be  raised  to  forty  dollars  a  week." 

"  I  don't  know  how  to  thank  you,  Mr.  Tower. 
It  is  only  fair  to  tell  you  that  I  have  an  offer 
from  another  firm." 

"  Did  they  offer  you  more?  What  firm  is 
it?" 

"  Ezra  Little.  He  offered  me  five  dollars  a 
week  and  my  board,  in  case  I  ever  leave  you." 

Mr.  Tower  seemed  much  amused. 

"  You  can  accept  the  offer  if  you  desire,"  he 
said. 


226  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  prefer  to  stay  with  you,  if  you  are  will- 
ing," said  Scott. 

"  You  can  stay  as  long  as  you  like.  We 
should  be  sorry  to  lose  you." 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

SCOTT  GETS  INTO  SOCIETY. 

Four  days  later,  Scott  received  the  follow- 
note: 

"  Dear  Scott  :  I  am  at  the  Windsor  Hotel. 
Can  you  call  this  evening?      Windermere." 

Scott  lost  no  time  in  responding  to  the  invi- 
tation. He  was  greeted  with  the  greatest  cor- 
diality. 

"  I  am  delighted  to  see  you,"  said  the  earl. 
"  I  missed  you  more  than  I  anticipated  after 
you  left  me.     Now  I  have  a  favor  to  ask." 

"  WThat  is  it?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  I  have  taken  a  suit  of  rooms  here,  and  I 
have  set  aside  a  bedroom  for  you.  I  shall  be  in 
the  city  for  four  weeks,  and  I  want  you  with 
me." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  have  forgotten  that  I  am 
only  a  boy  working  for  my  living." 

"  No ;  I  don't  forget  it.  I  respect  you  more 
for  it.  In  fact,  Scott,  I  want  your  company. 
Will  you  come?  " 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Grant — I  can't  refuse.  I 
seem  to  forget  that  vou  are  an  earl." 


The  Young  Salesman.  227 

"  That  is  what  I  wish." 

Just  then  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and 
a  hall  boy  entered  with  a  card. 

The  person  whose  name  it  bore  came  up 
directly  afterward. 

He  brought  a  dinner  invitation  from  a  well- 
known  social  club.  The  earl  good-naturedly 
accepted. 

The  visitor  regarded  Scott  inquiringly. 

"  Is  this  young  gentleman  one  of  your  party, 
my  lord?"  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir.  It  is  mv  young  friend,  Mr.  Scott 
Walton." 

"  Then  I  am  authorized  to  include  him  in  the 
invitation." 

Scott  looked  at  the  earl  inquiringly. 

"  I  accept  for  him,"  said  the  earl,  promptly. 

He  smiled  when  his  visitor  left  the  room. 

"  You  are  in  for  it,  Scott,"  he  said.  "  I 
advise  you  to  order  a  dress  suit  at  once,  if 
you  are  not  provided  with  one." 

"  Won't  the  club  think  they  are  imposed  up- 
on when  they  find  that  I  am  only  an  humble 
business  boy?  " 

"  You  are  not  invited  on  that  ground,  but 
as  my  intimate  friend." 

"  Then,  Mr.  Grant,  I  will  throw  the  whole 
responsibility  upon  you,"  said  Scott,  smiling. 

"  I  will  accept  it.  How  will  it  do  for  me  to 
dub  you  Sir  Scott  Walton?  " 

"  It  might  embarrass  me  in  my  business." 

"  True.     Then  you  shall  be  plain  Mr.  Wal- 


228  The  Young  Salesman. 

ton.  Mind  that  you  get  a  handsome  suit.  It 
will  be  expected,  as  you  belong  to  my  party." 

One  of  the  leading  New  York  dailies,  a  few 
days  later,  in  describing  the  dinner,  after  giv- 
ing the  earl's  modest  little  speech,  continued 
thus :  "  The  earl  was  accompanied  by  a  hand- 
some young  gentleman,  Mr.  Scott  Walton,  who 
is  understood  to  be  a  near  relative.  Mr.  Wal- 
ton was  called  upon  for  a  speech,  but  modestly 
declined." 

When  Ezra  Little  read  this  paragraph,  he 
was  immensely  surprised. 

"  Read  that,  Loammi,"  he  said. 

"  What  a  humbug  that  boy  is ! "  said  Lo- 
ammi, much  disgusted. 

"  Humbug  or  not,  he  has  got  into  the  best 
society,  and  his  success  reflects  credit  upon  us, 
who  are  his  cousins." 

"  The  idea  of  his  palming  himself  off  as  a 
relative  of  the  earl !  " 

tt  perhaps  he  didn't.  It  was  probably  a  con- 
jecture of  the  reporter." 

"  I  don't  believe  it.  I  feel  sure  Scott  put 
him  up  to  it.  I'd  like  to  tell  him  it  is  all  a 
mistake." 

"  I  won't  allow  you  to  do  anything  of  the 
sort.  As  the  matter  stands,  it  may  lead  to  the 
supposition  that  we  also  are  related  to  the 
earl." 

This  seemed  such  a  clever  idea  that  Ezra 
determined  to  act  upon  it. 

When  one  of  his  business  acquaintances  in- 


The  Young  Salesman.  229 

quired  whether  Scott  was  really  a  connection 
of  the  earl's,  he  answered :  "  He  is  related  to 
me,  and  there  may  also  be  a  distant  relation- 
ship to  the  earl.  Probably  the  earl  authorized 
the  statement." 

"  Why  don't  you  invite  the  earl  to  dinner?  " 
"  Egad,  I  will !  "  exclaimed  the  merchant. 
The  next  day  Scott  received  the  following 
note  from  Mr.  Little : 

tl  Dear  Scott  :  Can  you  induce  your  friend, 
the  earl,  to  accept  an  invitation  to  dinner  at 
our  house  any  day  next  week?  It  would  give 
me  great  pleasure,  as  an  Englishman  born,  to 
pay  some  attention  to  so  distinguished  a  repre- 
sentative of  my  native  country.  The  choice 
of  the  day  rests  entirely  with  the  earl.  We 
shall  be  only  too  glad  to  receive  him  at  any 
time. 

"  Sincerely,  your  cousin, 

"  Ezra  Little." 

Scott  showed  this  letter  to  the  earl. 

The  earl  smiled. 

"  I  am  glad,"  he  said,  "  that  I  have  been 
the  means  of  so  cordially  uniting  your  cousin 
and  yourself.  Of  course,  I  know  that  I  am 
only  invited  as  your  friend." 

Scott  laughed. 

"  That  didn't  occur  to  me,"  he  said. 

"  But  as  to  accepting  the  invitation,"  con- 
tinued the  earl,  "  I  am  afraid  I  cannot. 
Should    I   accept    Mr.    Little's    invitation,    I 


230  The  Young  Salesman. 

should  be  overwhelmed  by  similar  invitations 
from  other  parties." 

"  He  will  be  terribly  disappointed." 

"  I  can  partially  make  it  up  to  him.  I  will 
secure  a  box  at  one  of  the  theaters  for  some 
evening  next  week,  and  invite  your  uncle's 
family  to  join  our  party.  That  will  involve  no 
embarrassment." 

"  I  am  sure  Cousin  Ezra  will  be  delighted  to 
accept." 

"  Then  I  will  make  out  an  invitation  which 
I  will  send  by  you.  I  will  also  invite  Mr. 
Tower,  your  senior  employer,  as  it  may  help 
you  with  him." 

"  It  will,  I  am  sure." 

When  Scott  called  at  his  uncle's  house,  Ezra 
Little  inquired,  eagerly :  "  Did  you  receive  my 
note?  " 

"  Yes,  Cousin  Ezra." 

"Will  the  earl  accept  my  invitation?" 

"  He  would  be  glad  to  do  so,  but  it  would 
bring  upon  him  so  many  others  that  it  would 
prove  embarrassing." 

Mr.  Little's  face  fell. 

"Can't  you  influence  him  to  accept?"  he 
asked,  with  a  degree  of  deference  that  was  new 
to  Scott. 

"  No,  but  he  sends  you  an  invitation." 

Scott  put  in  Mr.  Little's  hand  this  mis- 
sive? 

"  The  Earl  of  Windermere  will  be  glad  to 
have  Mr.  Ezra  Little  and  family  join  him  at 


The  Young  Salesman.  231 

the  Star  Theater  next  Wednesday  evening  to 
see  Henry  Irving  in  '  Hamlet.' 
"  E.  S.  V.  P." 

"  Tell  the  earl  I  shall  be  delighted,  and  so 
will  Mrs.  Little  and  Loamnii,"  said  the  grati- 
fied merchant. 

"  I  think,  Cousin  Ezra,  etiquette  requires  a 
written  acceptance." 

"  Tell  me  what  to  write,  and  I  will  copy  it." 

Scott  did  so,  and  succeeded  in  toning  down 
the  exuberant  terms  in  which  Mr.  Little  was  at 
first  inclined  to  couch  his  acceptance. 

Mr.  Tower,  though  a  more  sensible  man, 
was  undeniably  flattered  by  the  invitation 
which  Scott  brought  him.  The  earl  had  called 
at  the  store,  so  that  the  invitation  was  en  regie. 

"  Really,  Scott,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  feel  obliged 
to  raise  your  pay,  since,  in  addition  to  your 
services  here,  you  are  introducing  me  into  such 
distinguished  society." 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  that,  Mr.  Tower," 
said  Scott,  smiling. 

"  And  you  are  really  the  guest  of  the  earl  at 
the  Windsor  Hotel?  It  is  most  extraordi- 
nary." 

"  I  hope,  Mr.  Tower,  you  will  appreciate  me 
as  much  as  the  earl  does." 

"  I  do  already,  Scott,  but  for  business  rea- 
sons." 

Mr.  Little  sent  for  reporters  on  two  of  the 
daily  papers,  and  managed  to  have  his  presence 


232  The  Young  Salesman. 

in  the  earl's  box  prominently  mentioned.  Lo- 
ammi  was  immensely  gratified,  and  contrived 
to  make  himself  conspicuous,  while  Scott  mod- 
estly withdrew  into  the  background. 

Seth  Lawton  happened  to  reach  New  York 
on  the  morning  following  the  theater  party. 
He  read  in  amazement  the  paragraph  which 
served  to  indicate  the  intimacy  of  his  relatives 
with  the  earl. 

"  My  young  cousin  is  getting  on/'  he  said. 
"  Well,  he  deserves  it." 

Mr.  Lawton  himself  was  modest,  and  was 
considerably  surprised  when  Scott  brought  him 
a  cordial  invitation  to  dine  at  the  Windsor 
.with  the  earl. 

"  I  don't  know,  Scott,"  he  said.  "  I  am  an 
old-fashioned  fellow.  I  am  not  used  to  stylish 
company." 

"  The  earl  will  like  you  all  the  better  on  that 
account." 

Scott  was  right.  The  Earl  of  Windermere 
could  see  the  sterling  gold  in  Cousin  Seth's 
character,  and  treated  him  with  a  cordiality 
that  pleased  the  old  man. 

"  I  never  thought  I  should  like  an  earl,"  he 
said  afterward  to  Scott,  "  but  your  friend  is 
a  trump.  He  ought  to  be  an  American  citi- 
zen." 

Ezra  Little  was  rather  disgusted  when  he 
heard  that  Seth  Lawton  had  been  the  earl's 
guest. 

"  You  ought  to  have  prevented  it,  Scott,"  he 


The  Young  Salesman.  233 

said.  "  What  will  the  earl  think  of  us  when 
such  a  homely  old  fellow  is  introduced  as  a 
cousin?  " 

"  Cousin  Seth  and  the  earl  are  great 
friends,"  replied  Scott. 

"  Humph !  I  suppose  he  felt  obliged  to  be 
polite  to  him.    Seth  is  a  mere  clodhopper." 

He  would  have  been  surprised  to  learn  that 
the  earl  rated  the  "  clodhopper  "  higher  than 
himself. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

MR.   BABCOCK'S  INVENTION. 

From  this  time  forth  Ezra  Little  began  to 
pay  more  attention  to  his  poor  relation. 
Scott's  social  and  business  success  had  sur- 
prised him.  He  was  compelled,  though  re- 
luctantly, to  consider  him  a  young  man  of 
promise. 

He  had  no  idea,  however,  how  successful 
Scott  was,  and  would  have  been  very  much 
amazed  to  learn  the  extent  of  his  income. 

One  result,  however,  was  to  excite  the  jeal- 
ousy of  Loammi.  He  found  that  Scott  dressed 
better  than  himself  and  had  more  command  of 
money.  Accordingly,  he  applied  to  his  father 
for  an  increased  allowance. 

"  What  do  you  want  more  money  for,  Lo- 
ammi?" asked  his  father,  in  a  tone  far  from 


234  ^ie  Young  Salesman. 

encouraging.      "  Don't    you    get    a    dollar    a 
week?" 

"  What  can  I  do  with  a  dollar  a  week,  pa?  " 
"  It  was  more  than  I  received  at  your  age." 
"  You  were  a  poor  boy,  while  I  am  the  son 
of  a  rich  man." 

"  Ahem !  not  exactly  rich,  Loammi,"  said 
Ezra  Little,  complacently. 

"  Everybody  calls  you  rich,  pa." 
"  I  have  some  money,"  admitted  Mr.  Little, 
cautiously,  "  but  it  is  only  by  great  care  that  I 
am  moderately  well  off.'" 

"  Scott  dresses  better  than  I,  and  always 
has  money  in  his  pocket." 

"  He  is  very  foolish  to  spend  all  his  spare 
money  on  clothes.  By  the  time  he  is  twenty- 
one  he  won't  have  a  cent  laid  up." 

"  At  any  rate,  he  has  plenty  of  cash  now. 
The  fact  is,  pa,  people  are  beginning  to  notice 
that  he  dresses  better  than  I.  Percy  Shelton 
was  walking  with  me  the  other  day  when  we 
met  Scott.  '  I  thought  your  cousin  was  poor,' 
he  said.  '  He  only  has  his  wages  to  depend 
upon,'  I  said.  '  Then  he  must  be  pretty  well 
paid,'  he  replied.  '  I  saw  him  at  Patti's  concert 
Tuesday  night,  occupying  a  three-dollar  seat.' 
That  made  me  feel  awfully  mean,  for  you 
wouldn't  let  me  go  to  hear  Patti." 

"  No ;  it  would  be  throwing  money  away." 
'*A11   the   fashionable   people  go.     People 
that  know  you  are  rich  think  it  strange  not  to 
see  me  there." 


The  Young  Salesman.  235 

This  argument  had  some  effect  on  Mr.  Little, 
who  was  anxious  that  his  son  should  be  admit- 
ted into  fashionable  society,  but  was  too  close 
to  supply  him  with  the  necessary  means. 

"How  much  do  you  want,  Loammi?"  he 
asked,  cautiously. 

"  Percy  Shelton  gets  five  dollars  a  week." 

"  Well,  you  won't,"  said  his  father,  sharply. 
"  You  must  think  that  I  am  made  of  money." 

"  I  will  try  to  make  it  do  with  four,  pa." 

"  You  won't  get  that  either.  I  will  give  you 
two  dollars  a  week,  and  that  ought  to  be 
enough  to  satisfy  you." 

Loammi  was  not  satisfied,  but  did  not  think 
it  prudent  to  say  any  more  just  then. 

There  was  one  more  concert  by  Patti,  and 
he  had  hoped  to  attend.  Indeed,  he  had  told 
Percy  that  he  expected  to  do  so.  He  might,  in- 
deed, have  bought  a  dollar  ticket,  but  he  was 
ashamed  to  be  seen  occupying  a  cheap  seat. 

Loammi  had  not  much  taste  for  music,  and 
cared  chiefly  to  attend  the  concert  because 
most  of  his  fashionable  friends  would  be  there. 

In  this  dilemma  he  received  unexpected  as- 
sistance. 

He  met  Scott  one  evening  near  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Hotel.  His  poor  cousin  was  hand- 
somely dressed,  and  looked  to  be  on  good  terms 
with  the  world,  as  indeed  he  was. 

"  Good-evening,  Loammi,"  he  said. 

"  Good-evening,  Scott.  Are  you  still  work- 
ing for  Tower,  Douglas  &  Co.  ?  " 


236  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Oh,  yes." 

"  Do  they  pay  you  well?  " 

"  I  am  quite  satisfied." 

"  How  much  do  you  get?  " 

"  I  would  rather  not  tell." 

"  Percy  Shelton  told  me  he  saw  you  a1 
Patti's  concert  Tuesday  evening." 

"  Yes,  I  was  there." 

"  The  tickets  are  rather  high,  ain't  they?  " 

"  I  paid  three  dollars  for  mine." 

"  I  want  to  go  ever  so  much ;  but  pa,  though 
he  is  rolling  in  wealth,  keeps  me  very  close. 
How  much  do  you  think  I  get  for  my  weekly 
allowance?  " 

"  I  couldn't  guess." 

"  Only  two  dollars." 

"  But  you  have  nothing  to  pay  for  board 
or  clothes." 

"That  is  true;  but  of  course  I  can't  go  to 
hear  Patti." 

"  Do  you  really  want  to  go?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do.  All  my  friends  have  at- 
tended." 

"  Then  I  will  invite  you  to  accompany  me  to- 
morrow evening." 

"  On  three-dollar  tickets?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  You're  a  good  fellow,  Scott,"  said  Loammi, 
overjoyed.    "  I  always  said  so." 

Scott  smiled.  He  did  not  feel  quite  certain 
about  that,  but  forbore  to  remind  Loammi  of 
certain  recent  experiences. 


The  Young  Salesman.  237 

"  When  will  you  buy  the  tickets?  " 

"  We  will  go  now  if  you  have  time.'' 

"  All  right'' 

Two  days  afterward  Loamini  fell  in  with 
h  srcy  Shelton. 

"  I  saw  you  at  the  concert  last  evening," 
said  his  friend. 

"  Yes." 

"  Was  that  your  cousin  with  you?  " 

"Yes;  I  thought  he  would  like  to  go." 

"  That  was  very  kind  of  you,"  said  Percy, 
who  naturally  concluded  that  Scott  went  by 
Loammi's  invitation. 

"  Scott  must  get  a  good  salary,"  thought 
Loammi.    "  I  wonder  how  much  he  is  paid." 

But  Scott  preferred  to  keep  this  to  himself. 
He  knew  that  if  Loammi  were  told,  he  would 
have  frequent  occasion  to  borrow,  and  he  felt 
that  it  would  be  prudent  in  him  to  lay  by  a 
portion  of  his  earnings. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  his  friend,  Justin 
Wood,  had  bought  for  him  an  interest  in  the  in- 
vention of  Mr.  Babcock,  advancing  the  in- 
ventor a  sum  of  money,  which  put  him  on  his 
feet. 

Scott  had  not  forgotten  this,  but  forbore  to 
look  up  Mr.  Babcock,  not  having  quite  so  much 
confidence  in  his  success  as  the  inventor  him- 
self. 

One  evening,  however,  as  he  was  preparing 
to  go  out  to  walk,  he  met  Babcock  coming  up- 
stairs. 


238  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Good-evening,  Mr.  Babcock,"  he  said ;  "  I 
am  glad  to  see  you." 

"  You  were  going  out?  "  asked  the  inventor. 

"  Only  for  a  walk.  I  shall  be  better  pleased 
to  receive  a  visit  from  you." 

"  Then  I  will  accept  your  invitation.  I 
thought  you  would  look  me  up." 

"  I  was  afraid  I  might  interfere  with  you.  I 
presume  you  are  busy." 

"  Yes,  very  busy,  I  am  glad  to  say.  And 
how  is  your  friend,  Mr.  Wood?  " 

"  At  present  he  is  out  of  the  city." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  him  to  thank  him  for 
his  timely  aid." 

"  Then  it  has  been  of  service  to  you?  " 

"  I  should  say  so.  I  am  succeeding  beyond 
my  anticipations." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that,"  said  Scott,  cor- 
dially. 

"  You  have  reason  to  be.  Are  you  not  my 
partner?  " 

"  I  believe  I  do  own  an  interest  in  your  dis- 
covery," said  Scott,  smiling. 

"  I  see  you  do  not  attach  much  importance  to 
it.  You  have  not  considered  what  your  profits 
will  amount  to." 

"  No,  Mr.  Babcock,  I  have  not  thought  of 
that  at  all.  I  only  hope  that  it  would  give  you 
a  fair  living." 

"  It  will  do  more.  In  fact,  I  have  come  to 
see  you  on  business  to-night.  The  parties  who 
are  manufacturing  my  window  fastener  have 


The  Young  Salesman.  239 

made  me  an  offer  for  it.  As  you  hold  a  one- 
third  interest,  I  cannot  accept  without  consult- 
ing you/ ' 

"  How  much  do  they  offer,  Mr.  Babcock?  " 

Scott  thought  the  sum  might  be  a  thousand 
dollars,  and  was  very  much  surprised  when  the 
inventor  answered  :  "  Fifteen  thousand  dol- 
lars ! " 

"  Is  it  possible?  "  he  ejaculated. 

"  I  thought  you  would  be  surprised.  But  it 
is  true.  That  would  give  you  five  thousand 
dollars." 

"  I  don't  see  how  so  small  an  article  can  pay 
so  well." 

"  It  is  the  small  inventions  that  pay  best. 
What  do  you  say?  " 

"  I  want  to  consult  your  interest  in  the  mat- 
ter, Mr.  Babcock.  This  would  give  you  ten 
thousand  dollars,  to  be  sure,  but  it  would 
throw  you  out  of  work." 

"  No.  They  engage  me  as  superintendent  of 
the  manufacture  at  a  salary  of  a  hundred  dol- 
lars per  month. " 

"  That  is  very  good.  In  that  case,  if  you 
think  it  wise  to  sell,  I  will  agree." 

"  Then  you  can  come  to-morrow  to  see  them, 
and  conclude  the  bargain?  " 

"  I  shall  be  occupied,  but  I  am  sure  my  em- 
ployers will  give  me  leave  of  absence  when  I 
tell  them  the  cause.  But  I  don't  think  I  ought 
to  receive  so  large  a  sum  as  five  thousand  dol- 
lars.   It  was  you  who  made  the  discovery." 


240  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  True,  but  I  never  should  have  reaped  any 
benefit  from  it  if  you  had  not  introduced  ine 
to  your  friend,  Mr.  Wood." 

The  next  day  the  sale  was  made,  and  Scott 
found  himself  enriched  by  five  thousand  dol- 
lars. It  seemed  to  him  almost  like  a  dream, 
from  which  he  was  afraid  that  he  might  awake. 

"What  would  Mr.  Little  say  if  he  knew?" 
thought  Scott.  "  He  did  me  a  great  favor 
when  he  discharged  me  from  his  store  under  a 
cloud." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE  SEALED  PACKET. 

One  day,  in  looking  over  his  trunk,  Scott's 
eye  fell  on  the  sealed  packet,  referred  to  at 
the  opening  of  this  story,  which  was  inscribed : 

For  My  Son. 
To  be  opened  a  year  from  my  death. 

Singularly,  the  next  day  would  be  the  anni- 
versary of  his  father's  passing  away. 

Scott  had  been  so  busy  that  he  had  given 
little  thought  to  this  packet.  Now  his  interest 
was  excited,  and  the  next  day  he  broke  the 
seal,  and  read  the  letter  which  it  contained. 

It  ran  thus : 

"  My  Dear  Scott  :  When  you  open  this 
packet  twelve  months  will  have  passed,  and  I 


The  Young  Salesman.  241 

hope  you  will  be  in  a  position  to  live  comfort- 
ably on  your  earnings.  I  assume  that  you  will 
be  in  the  employ  of  Ezra  Little,  who  I  under- 
stand is  well  to  do,  and  who  will  not,  I  think, 
turn  his  back  upon  a  needy  relative. 

"  You  will  find  nothing  in  this  letter  that 
will  provide  for  your  future  prospects.  In- 
deed, I  wish  to  pass  on  to  you  a  debt  which  I 
am  unable  to  pay.  During  my  early  manhood, 
I  received  many  favors  from  a  young  man 
named  Kobert  Kent,  who  afterward  emigrated 
to  America.  I  heard  a  report  two  years  since 
that  he  had  been  unfortunate,  and  that  his 
family  was  suffering.  I  should  like  to  he  able 
to  help  him  in  memory  of  the  past,  but  my  life 
is  nearing  the  end.  Should  you  ever  fall  in 
with  Mr.  Kent  or  his  family,  if  you  can  do  any- 
thing for  them  on  your  father's  account  I  shall 
be  very  glad.  It  may  seem  strange  that  I  give 
you  this  legacy  of  duty,  considering  that  I 
leave  your  well-nigh  penniless,  but  I  have  con- 
fidence that  sooner  or  later  you  will  succeed, 
and  I  hope  you  may  be  in  a  position  to  help 
my  early  friend  or  his  family. 

"  The  only  clew  I  can  give  you  as  to  my  old 
friend's  whereabouts  is,  that  he  was  an  artist 
by  profession,  and  that  he  went  to  New  York. 
Probably,  if  living,  he  is  in  that  city,  or  near 
it.  You  may  not  be  in  a  position  to  help  him, 
but  I  should  like  to  have  you  make  his  ac- 
quaintance, and  tell  him  that  I  have  not  for- 
gotten him  or  his  past  kindness." 


242  The  Young  Salesman. 

There  was  something  more,  but  this  was  the 
substance  of  the  letter.  It  was  sufficient  to 
interest  Scott  greatly. 

"  I  wish  I  could  find  my  father's  friend/'  he 
reflected.  "  Though  but  a  year  has  passed,  I 
am  amply  able  to  pay  the  debt  which  my  poor 
father  owed.  It  would  be  pleasant,  besides,  to 
see  one  of  his  friends." 

Naturally,  Scott's  first  reference  was  to  the 
New  York  directory.  He  found  numerous 
Kents,  but  none  that  seemed  likely  to  be  Robert 
Kent.  There  was  no  artist  of  that  name  in- 
cluded in  the  list. 

He  thought  of  advertising,  but  this  would 
involve  a  greater  degree  of  publicity  than  he 
desired,  and  might  lead  to  attempted  impos- 
ture. 

A  month  passed,  and  Scott  was  as  perplexed 
as  ever.  To  seek  for  any  particular  man  in  a 
crowded  city  like  New  York  was  like  seeking  a 
needle  in  a  haystack.  Besides,  he  might  have 
left  New  York  and  gone  to  some  other  city, 
perhaps  to  the  West. 

Yet  the  man  of  whom  he  was  in  search  was, 
at  that  very  moment,  occupying  a  shabby  lodg- 
ing on  Bleecker  Street,  with  his  wife  and  two 
children.  Moreover,  his  son,  a  boy  a  few 
months  younger  that  Scott,  was  employed  by 
Ezra  Little,  in  his  Eighth  Avenue  store,  at  a 
salary  of  three  dollars  a  week. 

Let  us  look  in  upon  the  Kents  in  their 
humble  home. 


The  Young  Salesman.  243 

The  apartments  consisted  of  three  rooms, 
after  the  usual  fashion  of  New  York  tene- 
ments. In  the  one  large  room,  sitting  in  a  big 
rocking-chair,  was  a  man  of  middle  age,  with 
an  expression  of  pain  upon  his  delicate  and 
refined  features.  He  had  been  for  some  time 
the  victim  of  a  rheumatic  affection  which  at 
times  prevented  him  from  working. 

At  half-past  six  the  door  opened,  and  a 
slender,  dark-haired  boy  entered  the  room. 

"  How  do  you  feel,  father?  "  asked  the  boy, 
with  a  glance  of  sympathy  toward  his  suffer- 
ing parent. 

"  No  better,  Harold.  It  is  very  trying  to  be 
tied  hand  and  foot  by  pain  when  I  ought  to  be 
at  work." 

"  If  your  father  would  worry  less,"  said  Mrs. 
Kent,  a  pleasant-looking  woman,  somewhat 
younger  than  her  husband,  "  he  would  be  more 
likely  to  get  well." 

"  How  can  I  help  worrying,  Clara?  We  are 
barely  able  to  live  when  I  can  work.  Now, 
with  only  Harold's  wages  coming  in,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  tell  how  we  shall  come  out.  Did  you 
ask  Mr.  Little  if  he  would  raise  you,  Harold?  " 

"  Yes,  father ;  but  he  only  shook  his  head, 
and  told  me  he  could  get  plenty  of  boys  at  the 
wages  he  paid  me,  and  perhaps  for  less." 

"  Yet  he  is  rich,"  said  Mr.  Kent,  bitterly. 
"  He  and  his  can  live  on  the  fat  of  the  land." 

"  Has  he  a  son?  "  asked  Mrs.  Kent. 

"  Yes,  mother.     He  has  one  son — Loammi." 


244  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  Do  you  know  him?  " 

"  Yes,  a  little." 

"  What  sort  of  a  boy  is  he?  " 

"  He  is  the  most  disagreeable  boy  I  ever  met. 
When  he  comes  to  the  store  he  struts  through 
it  as  if  he  were  a  prince." 

"  His  father  was  poor  enough  in  the  old 
country." 

"  He  is  rich  now." 

"  If  I  were  rich  now,  I  would  only  be  too  glad 
to  help  them  who  were  less  fortunate  than  my- 
self. I  had  one  friend  in  England,  an  artist, 
like  myself,  John  Walton,  who  would  have 
done  the  same.  I  wish  he  were  in  Ezra  Little's 
place." 

"  Did  he  have  a  son  named  Scott?  " 

"  I  think  it  probable.     He  married  a  Scott." 

"  Then  he  may  be  in  New  York.  I  have 
heard  that  there  was  a  boy  named  Scott  Wal- 
ton in  the  store  a  year  since." 

"  That  must  be  his  son,"  said  Mr.  Kent, 
eagerly.     "  Is  he  in  the  store  now?  " 

"  No.  I  understand  that  he  and  Loammi 
couldn't  get  along  together,  and  he  was  dis- 
charged. But  I  was  told  that  his  father  was 
dead." 

"  Poor  Walton !  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it.  It 
seems  to  me  that  it  is  those  who  best  deserve 
to  live  who  are  summoned  first." 

"  Harold,"  said  his  mother,  "  will  you  go  to 
the  grocery  at  the  corner  and  get  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  tea  and  half  a  pound  of  butter?  " 


The  Young  Salesman.  245 

"Yes,  mother,  but — shall  I  pay  for  them?" 

"  Ask  Mr.  Muller  to  trust  us  till  Saturday 
night,  wheu  you  get  your  week's  salary." 

Harold  took  his  hat  aud  went  downstairs. 

The  grocery  store  was  kept  by  a  stout,  good- 
natured  German  named  Muller.  It  was  a 
small  place,  but  Herr  Muller  did  a  thriving 
trade. 

Harold  entered  the  store  and  preferred  his 
request. 

"And  how  is  your  poor  father,  Harold?" 
asked  the  grocer. 

"  He  is  in  a  good  deal  of  pain  from  rheu- 
matism, Mr.  Muller." 

"  That  is  too  bad.  And  how  is  business  with 
him?" 

"  Very  poor,"  answered  Harold,  soberly. 

"  That  is  bad.  How  much  does  he  charge 
now  for  a  portrait?  " 

"  Ten  dollars." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  I  might  get  him  to 
paint  me.  In  a  month,  my  wife  and  I  will  be 
twenty-five  years  married.  That  is  what  they 
call  a  silver  wedding.  Gretchen  wants  to  have 
my  portrait  to  show  our  friends  on  that  oc- 
casion." 

"  My  father  will  be  very  glad  to  paint  it,  Mr. 
Muller." 

"  But  he  can't  work  now." 

"  He  will  soon  be  able,  I  am  sure." 

"  Well,  if  he  can  do  it  in  time.  We  wouldn't 
like  to  be  disappointed." 


246  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  am  sure  he  will  do  his  best." 

Harold  carried  home  the  welcome  intelll 
gence  to  his  father.  It  made  Mr.  Kent  some- 
what more  cheerful. 

Ten  dollars  would  help  him  not  a  little, 
though  the  time  had  been  when  he  received 
seventy-five  dollars  for  a  portrait  no  better 
than  he  produced  now  for  ten. 

"  Now,  father,  you  must  get  well  as  soon  as 
you  can,"  said  Harold. 

"  Ah,  no  need  to  say  that." 

"  I  am  afraid  your  father  will  only  worry  the 
more  if  he  finds  that  he  is  not  soon  in  a  condi- 
tion to  work. 

"  It  seems  so  little  to  make  a  portrait  for 
ten  dollars,"  added  Mrs.  Kent. 

"  I  should  be  only  too  glad  if  I  could  get  all 
the  work  I  could  do  at  that  price." 

The  new  order  somewhat  cheered  the  poor 
artist.  Once,  in  his  early  days,  he  was  am- 
bitious, and  hoped  for  a  reputation;  but  long 
since  his  ambitions  had  faded,  and  he  was  con- 
tent and  glad  to  work  for  a  bare  livelihood. 

Even  then,  he  would  not  have  succeeded  but 
for  the  small  help  his  son  was  able  to  give  him. 
Three  dollars  a  week  in  many  an  unfortunate 
household  in  the  metropolis  plays  an  important 
part  in  the  finances  of  a  poor  family. 

But  a  new  trial  was  in  store  for  the  Kent 
family.  The  next  day,  just  before  the  store 
closed,  Loammi  visited  it. 

He  wanted  to  ask  a  favor  of  his  father,  and 


The  Young  Salesman.  247 

as  be  walked  through  the  store  he  looked  about 
him  with  the  air  of  a  prince  of  the  blood  royal. 
It  happened  that  as  he  passed  along  he  man- 
aged to  drop  his  handkerchief.  Instead  of 
picking  it  up  himself,  he  signaled  to  Harold 
Kent  to  do  it. 

"  Pick  up  my  handkerchief,  boy !  "  he  said,  in 
a  lofty  tone. 

"  I  cau't  leave  my  place  behind  the  counter." 

"  Pick  it  up,  I  say !  "  said  Loamini,  stamping 
his  foot. 

"  That  is  not  what  I  am  hired  to  do,"  re- 
torted Harold,  indignant  at  the  other's  tone. 

"  What  is  your  name?  " 

"  Harold  Kent." 

"  I  won't  forget  it,"  said  Loammi,  signifi- 
cantly. 

When,  on  Saturday  night,  Harold  was  paid 
his  weekly  wages,  he  was  told  that  he  need  not 
report  for  duty  on  Mondary  morning. 

"  WThy  is  this?  "  asked  Harold,  in  dismay. 

"  Loammi  has  complained  of  you,"  he  was 
told. 

It  was  too  late  to  appeal  to  the  superin- 
tendent, and  Harold  left  the  store,  grief- 
stricken  and  discouraged. 


248  The  Young  Salesman. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVI. 

A  TIMELY  HELPER. 

Walking  along  Eighth  Avenue,  Scott  Wal- 
ton saw  a  boy  coming  out  of  Ezra  Little's  store 
with  sad  face  and  eyes  red  as  with  weeping. 
The  boy  was  poorly  dressed,  and  Scott's  ex- 
perience of  poverty  had  been  so  recent  that  he 
felt  quick  sympathy. 

"  Are  you  in  trouble?  Can  I  assist  you?  " 
he  asked,  kindly. 

Harold  turned  to  see  who  was  addressing 
him. 

"  I  have  just  lost  my  place,"  he  said,  briefly. 

"  Were  vou  working  for  Mr.  Little?  '' 

"  Yes." "  » 

"  How  did  you  lose  your  place?  Tell  me,  if 
you  don't  mind." 

"  I  offended  Mr.  Little's  son,  Loammi.  He 
got  me  discharged." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  to  hear  it.  Loammi  got 
me  discharged  some  months  ago." 

"  You !  "  exclaimed  Harold,  in  surprise,  for 
he  noticed  that  Scott  was  handsomely  dressed. 

"  Yes." 

"  But  you  are  not  a  poor  boy.  You  do  not 
mind  it." 

"  I  was  a  poor  boy  then.  How  much  salary 
did  vou  receive?  " 


The  Young  Salesman.  249 

u  Three  dollars  a  week." 

"  I  think  I  can  promise  you  five  dollars  a 
week  with  another  firm." 

"Can  you?"  asked  Harold,  overjoyed. 
"  But  how  can  you?     You  are  only  a  boy." 

Scott  smiled. 

"  I  have  some  influence  with  the  firm  of 
Tower,  Douglas  &  Co.  I  think  they  will  take 
you  on  at  my  request.  But  where  do  you  live, 
and  what  is  your  name?  " 

"  I  live  at  940  Bleecker  Street,  and  my  name 
is  Harold  Kent." 

"  You  are  not  related  to  Robert  Kent?  "  said 
Scott,  in  excitement. 

"  He  is  my  father." 

"  He  is  an  Englishman,  is  he  not?  " 

"  Yes ;  do  you  know  him?  " 

"  Not  yet,  but  I  mean  to.  If  you  are  going 
home,  take  me  with  you." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so,  but  may  I  ask  your 
name?  " 

"  My  name  is  Scott  Walton.  Our  fathers 
were  friends,  and  I  will  be  your  father's 
friend." 

"  I  have  heard  my  father  speak  of  your 
family.  He  will  be  delighted  to  see  you — and 
is  your  father  living?  " 

"  No ;  my  poor  father  is  dead.  I  judge  that 
you  are  poor.'' 

"  Yes,  very  poor.  My  father  is  an  artist,  but 
he  has  very  little  to  do.  Lately  he  has  taken 
to  portrait  painting,  but  he  only  gets  ten  dol- 


250  The  Young  Salesman. 

lars  for  a  portrait.  Now  he  is  sick  with  the 
rheumatism,  and  cannot  work." 

"  Cheer  up,  Harold !  Better  times  are  in 
store  for  you.  I  am  prosperous,  and  my  father 
commissioned  me  to  seek  you  out  and  help 
you." 

Scott  followed  Harold  up  into  the  poor 
apartment  occupied  by  his  father.  As  he  en- 
tered the  room,  Mr.  Kent  looked  in  surprise  at 
his  companion. 

"  Is  this  one  of  your  fellow  clerks,  Harold?  " 
he  asked. 

"  No,  father.  I  have  been  discharged  from 
Mr.  Little's  store,  and  I  have  no  fellow  clerks." 

Mr.  Kent's  countenance  fell. 

"  Then  we  have  no  income,"  he  said,  sadly. 
"  It  only  needed  this  blow.  Why  were  you  dis- 
charged? " 

"  It  was  on  account  of  Loammi  Little,  but 
don't  be  troubled,  father.  I  am  to  have  a 
better  place,  at  five  dollars  a  week." 

"  Who  will  give  it  to  you?  " 

"  I  will  see  that  he  has  such  a  place,  Mr. 
Kent,"  said  Scott. 

"  But — why  should  you  feel  an  interest  in 
my  poor  boy?" 

"  Because  my  name  is  Scott  Walton,  and 
you  were  a  friend  of  my  poor  father." 

"  Not  John  WTalton's  son?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  have  been  looking  for  you  for  a 
month.     This  evening  fortune  threw  vour  son 


The  Young  Salesman.  251 

in  my  way.  He  tells  me  that  you  have  been  un- 
fortunate." 

"  I  am  sick  and  out  of  work,  but  you — you 
look  prosperous." 

"  I  am." 

"  Did  your  father  leave  property?  " 

"  No,  but  I  have  met  with  good  friends." 

"  Has  Ezra  Little  treated  you  better  than  he 
has  Harold?" 

"  Ezra  Little  took  me  into  his  store,  and 
after  a  few  weeks  discharged  me,  as  a  result  of 
Loammi'S  meanness  and  falsehood.  I  met 
with  other  friends,  secured  another  situation, 
and  I  am  able  to  help  you,  Mr.  Kent.  I  want 
you  to  find  better  rooms." 

"  But  I  cannot  pay  the  rent  of  these." 

Scott  drew  out  his  pocketbook,  and  selected 
five  ten-dollar  bills. 

"  Take  this,"  he  said,  "  and  when  you  have 
moved  I  will  see  what  more  I  can  do  for  you." 

"  Fifty  dollars !  "  ejaculated  the  artist,  in 
amazement.     "  Can  you  afford  this?  " 

"  Easily.  I  will  tell  you  later  how  I  have 
prospered." 

"  Won't  you  stop  and  eat  supper  with  us,  Mr. 
Walton?  "  asked  Mrs.  Kent. 

"  Gladly,  if  you  will  call  me  Scott,  i  want 
to  ask  Mr.  Kent  about  his  early  acquaintance 
with  my  poor  father." 

The  evening  was  spent  in  social  chat,  and  it 
was  ten  o'clock  before  Scott  left  his  new 
friends. 


252  The  Young  Salesman. 

"  I  shall  expect  to  see  you  on  Monday  morn- 
ing at  the  store,  Harold,"  he  said,  as  he  went 
away. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

CONCLUSION. 

Three  days  later,  in  the  early  evening, 
Loainmi  Little  met  Harold  in  the  street. 

"  Hi,  you  boy ! "  he  said,  with  malicious 
pleasure ;  "  you  lost  your  place  at  my  father's 
store,  didn't  you?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Harold,  calmly. 

"  That  will  teach  you  to  treat  me  with  re- 
spect hereafter." 

"  I  suppose  I  am  indebted  to  you  for  getting 
me  discharged." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Loammi,  with  a  smile. 

"  Then  I  want  to  thank  you." 

"  To  thank  me !  "  exclaimed  Loammi,  in  sur- 
prise. 

"  Yes,  for  I  have  now  a  better  place." 

"Where?" 

"  With  Tower,  Douglas  &  Co." 

"  Did  Scott  Walton  get  it  for  you?  "  asked 
Loammi,  quickly. 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  he  had  better  mind  his  own  business. 
My  father  may  get  him  discharged  from  his 
place  there." 


The  Young  Salesman.  253 

"  That  is  more  than  he  can  do.  Mr.  Tower 
puts  great  confidence  in  Scott." 

"  Do  you  know  what  he  pays  him  ?  " 

"  Forty  dollars  a  week." 

"  Nonsense !  "  said  Loammi,  angrily. 

"  It  is  true." 

"  Then  Mr.  Tower  is  a  fool." 

"  Why  don't  you  call  and  tell  him  so?  " 

A  really  mean  person  can  receive  no  heavier 
blow  than  to  find  his  malicious  attempt  to 
injure  another  of  no  avail.  This  was  the  case 
with  Loammi. 

When  he  was  forced  to  believe  that  Scott 
really  received  the  high  salary  he  had  con- 
temptuously scoffed  at,  he  became  more  dis- 
contented than  ever.  He  tried  to  get  his 
father  to  increase  his  allowance,  but  without 
success.  He  v*as  mortified  to  find  that  even 
Harold  vied  with  him  in  dress. 

"  How  these  beggarly  upstarts  are  coming 
up !  "  he  said  to  himself,  bitterly.  "  It  makes 
me  sick." 

But  a  heavier  blow  was  in  store  for  him. 
Dull  times  came  in  business,  retail  trade  fell 
off,  and  one  morning  it  was  announced  in  the 
papers  that  the  great  house  of  Ezra  Little  had 
suspended. 

Mr.  Little  made  desperate  efforts  to  secure 
financial  assistance,  but  in  vain.  No  one  liked 
him,  and  it  looked  as  if  he  was  irretrievably 
ruined. 


254  The  Young  Salesman. 

When  things  looked  darkest,  a  plain-looking 
old  man  entered  the  store,  and  asked  to  see  Mr. 
Little. 

"  Seth  Lawton  !  "  exclaimed  the  merchant. 
"  I  can't  see  you.     I  am  very  busy." 

"  I  hear  you  are  in  trouble."  said  Cousin 
Seth. 

"  And  I  suppose  you  are  glad  of  it,"  re- 
plied Ezra,  bitterly. 

"  No,  I  have  come  to  help  you,"  responded 
Mr.  Lawton. 

"  You  help  me !  "  repeated  Ezra,  scornfully. 
"  What  good  will  a  few  hundred  dollars  do?  " 

"  How  much  help  do  you  need?  " 

"  With  forty  thousand  dollars  I  could 
weather  the  storm  handsomely,"  replied  Mr. 
Little. 

"  You  shall  have  it,  if  you  will  secure  me 
well." 

"  Have  you  got  forty  thousand  dollars?  I 
thought  you  a  poor  man." 

"  It  isn't  the  only  mistake  you  have  made, 
Cousin  Ezra.  At  the  time  you  looked  down 
upon  me  I  was  richer  than  yourself.  But  I 
will  only  help  you  on  conditions." 

"  I  will  agree  to  any  conditions,"  said  Ezra, 
his  pride  humbled.  "  Only  help  me  out  of  my 
present  trouble." 

So  the  house  of  Ezra  Little  was  saved,  and 
its  head  received  a  lesson.  His  pride  had  had 
a  fall.  Those  whom  he  looked  down  upon 
proved  to  surpass  him  in  the  only  thing  on 


The  Young  Salesman.  255 

which   he   prided   himself — the   possession   of 
money. 

One  of  Cousin  Seth's  conditions  was  that 
Loammi  should  go  into  his  father's  store,  and 
exchange  his  elegant  leisure  for  honest  work. 
He  complained  a  good  deal,  but  Seth  Lawton 
and  his  father  insisted.  He  may  in  time  I 
come  a  useful,  hard-working  man  of  business, 
but  he  has  a  good  deal  to  learn  first." 

Scott  continues  to  prosper,  and  next  yea:* 
will  become  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Tower, 
Douglas  &  Co.  Harold  is  earning  a  good 
salary  now,  and  his  father's  troubles  are  over. 
He  gets  more  remunerative  work  at  his  pro- 
fession, and,  with  his  family,  occupies  a  pleas- 
ant home  in  Bayonne. 

Mr.  Lawton  has  leased  a  handsome  house  up- 
town, and  Scott  lives  with  him.  He  is  rich — 
how  rich  no  one  knows — and  Scott  is  generally 
supposed  to  be  his  heir. 


THE  END, 


